Screening Of 'The Sabarmati Report' At JNU Marred By Stone-Pelting Incident, ABVP Claims 'Leftist Plot'

A screening of "The Sabarmati Report" at JNU was disrupted when stones were thrown, allegedly by Left-leaning student groups.

A screening of the film The Sabarmati Report at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Delhi, on Thursday evening was reportedly disrupted when stones were thrown at attendees, according to claims by the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). The right-wing student group alleged that the incident caused minor injuries to several attendees and temporarily halted the screening, which resumed shortly afterwards.

"While hundreds of students were watching the film, some individuals began hurling stones. We have lodged a complaint with the university administration and plan to involve the Delhi Police," said Rajeshwar Kant Dubey, president of the ABVP’s JNU unit.

The ABVP accused members of Left-leaning student groups of orchestrating the attack. In a statement, they condemned the incident, describing it as an assault by "anti-national" and "anti-Hindu" forces.

"This event aimed to reveal truths and foster dialogue. The reaction of these intolerant and insecure elements demonstrates their inability to accept differing perspectives," the statement read.

ABVP-JNU Secretary Shikha Swara said: "We saw the stones being hurled from the terrace or maybe the balcony of the Dhaba. Those who were sitting at the front suffered minor injuries. We saw the torn posters of the movie."

However, JNU Students’ Union (JNUSU) president Dhananjay dismissed the allegations, instead accusing the ABVP of staging the incident to promote the film. "The ABVP's stunt to turn an unpopular film into a hit has failed. Their theatrics, including media involvement and baseless accusations, have backfired. Ironically, the room they targeted belongs to their own presidential candidate for 2024, Umesh Chandra Ajmira," he remarked, reaffirming JNUSU’s opposition to all forms of exploitation.

Sabarmati Hostel president Yogesh Kumar, too, slammed the ABVP. "They spread falsehoods about stone-pelting from the hostel and then arrived with a group of 20-30 people, accompanied by media. They tried to force their way into a resident's room, harass its occupant, and film without consent," he alleged, likening the incident to the confrontations seen during the 2020 protests over fee hikes.

The university administration has yet to issue an official statement regarding the matter.

(With inputs from PTI.)