ABVP march against defacement of Vivekanada's statue at JNU

Activists of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of RSS, took out torchlight processions in the northern and southern parts of the city on Saturday protesting against the defacement of Swami Vivekananda's statue at JNU.

The torchlight procession in the northern part moved from Shyambazar crossing to Viveknanda's ancestral home on Bidhan Sarani, while another was taken out on arterial Rash Behari Avenue in the south.

The ABVP alleged that the defacement of Vivekananda's statue, which is yet to be unveiled, at the administrative block of the central university in the national capital was orchestrated by the Left-dominated JNU Students' Union.

They also demanded an inquiry into the incident.

The statue of the monk, who was a key figure in the introduction of Vedanta and Yoga to the western world and is credited with raising interfaith awareness, besides setting up the Ramakrishna Mission, was defaced and objectionable messages allegedly directed at the BJP and its affiliates were found at the base of the statue.

JNUSU has denied its involvement in the incident.