JNU ripples reach DU, clashes during demonstration

Delhi University today witnessed clashes between ABVP members and a group of students who came out in support of their JNU counterparts agitating over the arrest of JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar in a sedition case.
The students, numbering a little above 100, had gathered outside DU Arts Faculty around 1 pm raising slogans against the Centre's "transgression" in academic institutions across the country like in FTII, Hyderabad University and JNU.
Claiming not to be part of any organised political outfit, the students marched in procession carrying banners bearing messages of solidarity such as "DU with JNU" and "Dissent is not sedition".

"20-25 members belonging to ABVP interrupted the meeting shouting slogans like 'Bharat Mata ke Jai' and 'Jo Afzal ki baat karega woh Afzal ki maut marega' (those talking about Afzal will die like Afzal)," one of the students said.
Towards the end of the meeting, ABVP members started waving the tricolour and asked the protesters to do the same and say 'Vande Mataram' as a "proof of their patriotism".
In doing so, some ABVP members engaged in a scuffle with the protesters and the police. The ABVP members then marched through the campus raising slogans against the "anti-nationals" and condemning the meeting.

Mitesh, an ABVP activist, justified the interruptions, saying they will not tolerate "anti-national" activities. He claimed that most of the protesters were "non-DU students".
"Police personnel intervened in time and separated the groups. No one was injured and none has been detained," DCP (North) Madhur Verma said.