A screening of ‘The Sabarmati Report’, an Ektaa Kapoor movie based on the burning of the Sabarmati Express in Godhra leading to the Gujarat riots of 2002, by the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) was disrupted Thursday evening due to alleged stone-pelting by unidentified individuals, officials said. However, Vice-Chancellor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit denied that no violence took place on the campus and stated that she visited the site of the alleged incident and everything was peaceful.
According to the officials, stones were allegedly pelted at the Sabarmati Badminton court, where the screening was taking place, from the direction of the nearby Sabarmati Hostel, adding, security guards were promptly alerted. “A few stones were allegedly pelted from the Sabarmati Hostel towards the badminton court where the event is happening. Guards were informed of the situation, and it is now under control,” an official source told The Indian Express. The disruption occurred around 6:45 pm, the official added.
“There were some unidentified people who pelted small stones from the Sabarmati Hostel thrice at the people viewing the screening. We have informed the authorities, the screening is going on peacefully, and the situation is under control,” ABVP JNU secretary Shikha Swaraj told The Indian Express. ‘The Sabarmati Report’ is based on the burning of the Sabarmati Express in which 59 people, including 27 women and 10 children returning from a ceremony in Ayodhya, were killed on February 27, 2002.
Condemning the incident and calling it “cowardly and reprehensible”, ABVP accused “anti-Bharat, anti-Hindu forces” on the campus of orchestrating the attack to stifle debate and suppress differing viewpoints. “This barbaric act is not just an attack on a group of individuals but an assault on freedom of expression, dialogue, and democratic values that this university is known for,” it said in an official statement.
Another ABVP member accused Left-affiliated student groups for the incident.
However, JNU Students’ Union (JNUSU) President Dhananjay dismissed the allegation, asserting that the ABVP itself was creating unnecessary controversy. “No one goes to events held by ABVP. They are not popular on campus. The movie they screened is a flop, and the propaganda they are spreading has also flopped today,” he said. “It is obvious they create issues and blame the Left baselessly. We do not support the screening of biased content. JNU is a reputed institution that provides education to the poorest and underprivileged of this country,” he added.
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