BJP ministers have complained to Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti about 'ban' on ABVP In Jammu colleges
Highlights
- In March, ABVP wasn't allowed to organise a blood donation camp in campus
- Ban on all political student bodies, not just ABVP, says Vice Chancellor
- Vice Chancellor alleges that other groups 'cooperated' but not ABVP
The BJP is furious over what it says is a no-entry rule for the student's body ABVP in colleges in Jammu since March. The party's ministers raised the alleged "ban" strongly with Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, at a meeting of the Jammu and Kashmir cabinet last week.
"BJP ministers take up Jammu Univ VC's obstinate behaviour against ABVP. Action will be taken," the BJP's Ram Madhav warned in a tweet today.
The ABVP or Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad is affiliated to the BJP through its mentor Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh; Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh is among the leaders who began their political career as ABVP activists.
Speaking to NDTV, Jammu University Vice Chancellor RD Sharma denied that the ABVP had been singled out and said all student outfits with political links have been barred. "There is no ban on the ABVP but the university has just followed the rule book by barring all student bodies with political links from carrying out activities on campus to stop them from pushing their agendas," Mr Sharma said.
The Vice Chancellor alleged that other student groups had "cooperated" but the ABVP had not.
The row started with the ABVP reportedly being denied permission to organize a blood donation camp on the Jammu University campus in March. Again this month, it was reportedly not allowed to hold a meeting at the Government Women's College in Jammu, where Nirmal Singh was to be the chief guest.
"ABVP is not just in Jammu University but in universities across the country and is holding blood donation camps everywhere," said Lakhwinder Singh, the group's Jammu University president.
"Student bodies are for students...if not the university, then where are the students supposed to go?" he questioned.
The ABVP was at the forefront of the recent agitation at the Srinagar NIT campus that started after clashes over local students celebrating India's defeat in the World T20 semi-final match.
Kavinder Gupta, a senior BJP leader in the state, said there was "nothing new or adverse" about ABVP's activities in Jammu. "The ABVP spearheaded the campaign for non-Kashmiri students in NIT. This is depriving an organization of its political rights," he said.