New Delhi: After the recent incident of violence in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) allegedly over the menu at the Kaveri hostel mess on Ram Navami, Vice-Chancellor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit said that they have ordered an enquiry and the results are awaited.
“The issue erupted on whether 'Ram Navami Havan' should be conducted and regarding the food menu. These are the versions of the two groups. The proctorial enquiry was ordered and we're waiting for reports, it'll be an impartial enquiry,” Pandit said.
She also added that she wanted to clear the misconception that people have about the university and said, “I want to correct the public perception that we are tukde-tukde...after I've taken over, I've not seen anybody talking like that. We are as nationalistic as anybody else.”
“JNU is a free university. We respect individuals' choices, it's a melting pot of all identities. Young people have opinions and we appreciate diversity and dissent but let's not end up having violence,” the Vice-Chancellor further said.
Notably, on Sunday, the RSS-linked Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and the Left union accused each other of allegedly stoking violence on JNU campus over serving of non-vegetarian food.
While, the Left group said that ABVP assaulted their members over the cooking of chicken on the occasion of Ram Navami, the ABVP accused the Left students of attacking their Ram Navami prayer ceremony.
Later, several videos and photos of the assault were also shared on the social media.
On the other hand, a meat seller, who has been delivering meat to the JNU hostel mess, said that some students called him and said that chicken should not be supplied to the university’s Kaveri hostel on Ram Navami.
According to report by news agency PTI, the meat seller said, "It has never happened that I have been asked not to supply meat (at hostels) as there is a festival being celebrated."
After the incident, the Delhi Police on Monday lodged a complaint against unknown students of the ABVP.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Union Ministry of Education had also sought a detailed report that led to the clashes.