Three JNU ABVP unit members resign to protest crackdown

Three members of the JNU's ABVP unit on Wednesday resigned their posts and decided to disassociate themselves from the organization following "difference of opinions" over the recent developments and crackdown at the university.

The three members are Pradeep Narwal, joint secretary of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad's Jawaharlal Nehru University unit, Rahul Yadav, president, of its School of Social Sciences unit, and Ankit Hans, secretary, School of Social Sciences unit.

In a joint statement, posted by Narwal on Facebook, they said they were "resigning from ABVP and disassociating ourselves from any further activity of ABVP as per our difference of opinion due to reasons pertaining to current JNU incident and long standing difference of opinion with party on 'Manusmriti' and Rohith Vermula incident".

"Anti-national slogans on February 9 in the university campus were very unfortunate and heart breaking. Whosoever responsible for that act must be punished as per the law but the way NDA government tackling the whole issue, the oppression on professors, repeated lawyer attacks on media and (JNUSU president) Kanhaiya Kumar in court premises is unjustifiable and we think there is a difference between interrogation and crushing ideology and branding entire left as anti-national," the statement added.

They also noted that people are circulating "#SHUTDOWNJNU" but should actually seek closing down of a "biased" news channel which has "demeaned this world class institution" by generalising an act done by few people to the whole student community of JNU.

"We can't be mouthpiece of such a government which has unleashed oppression on student community, legislature (sic) like O.P. Sharma, government which has legitimized the action of right wing fascist forces either in Patiala House court or in front of JNU north gate.

"Every day we see people assemble at front gate with Indian flag to beat JNU students. Well, this is hooliganism not nationalism, you can't do anything in the name of nation, there is a difference between nationalism and hooliganism," the statement read.

Noting anti-India slogans can't be tolerated in the campus or any part of country, they demanded any person responsible for the slogans should be punished as per the law but also condemned "the media trial which has culminated in anti-JNU sentiments throughout the country".

"Today, we all must stand together to save JNU which has given us identity, we need to come across party lines to save reputation of this institution, to save future of JNUites as more than 80 percent of students don't belong to any political party so let's unite to save this JNU culture," the statement added.

The ABVP said it had no knowledge of the development but alleged they have decided so "under pressure" of their professors.

"We haven't received any official information from the three ABVP members. They are all from the School of Social Sciences and they might have taken this decision under pressure from professors. All three of them are new and the professors must have influenced them. We will talk to them and try to resolve all issues with them. We will try and convince them to reconsider their decision," JNUSU joint secretary Saurabh Sharma, the only ABVP member in the union, told IANS.