BJP slams police raid on ABVP office

The BJP on Sunday deplored the police raid on the office of ABVP, the students' wing of RSS, over allegations of involvement of its members in the attack on leaders of Chhatra JD(U) - the students wing of Chief Minister Nitish Kumars party.

BJP MLC Sanjay Paswan and MLAs Sanjeev Chaurasia, Arun Sinha and Nitin Nabin came out with a joint statement on Sunday condemning the raid that took place on Friday night, after some Chhatra JD(U) leaders including the president of the Patna University Students Union (PUSU) president Divyanshu were roughed up.

PUSU polls are slated for December 5 and the incident that took place on Friday afternoon was seen as an example of fierce campus rivalry, with cross FIRs being lodged by Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and Chhatra JD(U) leaders.

Divyanshu has alleged that ABVP has been upset with him ever since he quit the organization last year and won the PUSU polls as an Independent, before joining the Chhatra JD(U).

From the ABVPs side, its members including nominee for vice-presidents post Anjani Singh, have alleged that the pro-BJP student outfit had taken exception to eve-teasing by Chhatra JD(U) leaders.

In their statement, the BJP legislators alleged ABVP candidates and supporters are being "terrorized by the police and the administration.

They also said some event management professionals are trying to influence the outcome of the students union polls in what is being seen as a veiled attack on poll strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor, who is said to have been taking a keen interest in bringing youths to the JD(U) of which he was appointed the national vice-president within weeks of becoming a primary member.

We are confident that Patna University students would vote in the interests of education, society and the nation and defeat those trying to influence the outcome with the help of money, muscle power and political and administrative interference, they added.

Meanwhile, the Hindustani Awam Morcha of former Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi which belongs to the opposition camp also came out with a statement charging Kishor with blatant misuse of the administrative machinery after having declared that he wanted a victory in PUSU polls at all costs.