Base of Vivekananda statue at JNU campus vandalised

A row erupted over writing of certain comments mocking BJP and the saffron politics near a statue of Vivekananda in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).

While the identity of the those involved in writing such comments near the statue was yet to be ascertained, the JNU students union distanced itself from the act, calling it a “conspiracy by the right wing forces” to defame the university and its “democratic culture.”

JNU vice chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar said the university was “very serious” about identifying the culprits who indulged in such unlawful activities and indicated that a case is filed against those involved.

Meanwhile, the JNUSU said in a statement :“The vice chancellor and the ABVP want to divert the issue from fee hike to pointless and pointless debates. Attempts to divert us from the real issues shall not succeed.”

The students body also appealed to the student community to exercise restraint and not encourage “such recklessness.”

The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) accused the activists of the Left-backed student union of resorting to such act on the campus.

Members of the ABVP cleaned the pedestal and lit earthen lamps around the statue to pay their respect to Swami Vivekananda, the students' outfit told PTI.

Heeraman Tiwari, dean at the JNU's school of management, told PTI that he was shocked to see the "vandalised" statue and the writings at its base.

"Shocked beyond belief & with tears in my eyes: went there to express my horror & perhaps to meditate what kind of JNU students would vandalised the statue of #SwamiVivekananda ji, an inspiration & icon of our youth. Notice the marks on the left shoe of the statue. Ashamed, once again (sic)," he said in a tweet.

The ABVP's JNU unit president Durgesh Kumar and secretary Manish Jangid said in a joint statement that the Left was trying to revive its "flop agenda", accoding to the PTI report.

"At a time when the common student of JNU is fighting for his rights, the Left is unsuccessfully trying to revive its flop agenda," they said in the statement.

BJP leader Kapil Mishra also condemned the incident. "The attack on the statue of Vivekananda in JNU symbolises a sickening mentality," he told PTI.

"Why hate Vivekananda? Some people hate every symbol of country and religion. These are not students, they are street goons, such goons should be punished like criminals and traitors," Mishra said, as per the report.

Amid ongoing protest against the hostel fee hike and proposed changes in the hostel rules, students have written anti-vice chancellor and anti-BJP government slogans on the walls of the JNU across the campus.

(With inputs from PTI)