Left-Right face-off at SAU: SFI, ABVP lock horns over alleged attack

New Delhi [India], February 26 (ANI): A clash between two student groups, the Students' Federation of India (SFI) and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), erupted at South Asian University (SAU) in New Delhi over food preferences in the university mess.
The conflict began when ABVP members requested the mess administration to serve satvik food, as many students were observing a fast on the occasion of Maha Shivratri and accused leftist goons of trying to "spoil" the religious harmony on campus.
However, SFI members allegedly tried to forcibly serve non-vegetarian food in the mess designated for fasting students
After the alleged incident of a woman student being beaten up inside a South Asian University went viral, the Students' Federation of India Delhi blamed Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad for the incident, whereas ABVP alleged that leftist goons "deliberately tried to spoil" religious harmony.
According to the Delhi Police, the victim is being medically examined and "facts are being verified."
"The video of a girl student being beaten up inside a South Asian University is going viral on social media. According to Delhi Police, the video is from today and there was an argument between two groups of students in the canteen over an issue related to food and then a fight broke out. The victim student informed the police by making a PCR call. Currently, the victim is being medically examined and facts are being verified," Delhi Police said.
Meanwhile, the Students' Federation of India Delhi demanded immediate action against ABVP goons who "unleashed an attack" on the students of SAU in the University Mess.
"ABVP viciously attacked the students of SAU in the university mess because they were not complying with ABVP's draconian and undemocratic demand that no non-veg should be served in the university mess owing to Maha Shivratri," SFI stated.
They further said that the university mess is a "common place" of all students and imposition of the dietary practices of any one community on the larger student community is "undemocratic and unsecular."
"ABVP goons are seen on video manhandling and attacking students in the mess. The goons grabbed the hair of women students and dragged them violently during the attack. They also attacked the mess staff for serving non-veg food. Such violent goons and their draconian principles of exclusion have no place in our university campuses that are supposed to be democratic, secular and safe spaces of education. The students of SAU believe that these goons will continue these attacks in the campus to unleash more violence against the common students," they alleged.
SFI Delhi demanded strict action from the SAU administration against the ABVP goons who allegedly attacked the students in the mess.
"They should be stopped immediately before they unleash more violence in the campus against the common students who resisted their vicious attack," they said.
Reacting to the alleged incident of a woman student being beaten up inside South Asian University, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) alleged that leftist goons "deliberately tried to spoil" this religious harmony.
"A large number of students observed fast on the auspicious occasion of Mahashivratri at South Asian University (SAU). Respecting religious faith and tradition, these students had earlier requested the mess administration to arrange satvik food for them on this special day. When the matter was discussed with the mess manager, about 110 students confirmed that they wanted food meant to be consumed during fasting," ABVP stated.
"Accepting this demand of the students, the university administration arranged satvik food in one of the two different messes. But it is extremely unfortunate that some leftist goons deliberately tried to spoil this religious harmony. When satvik food was being served in the mess designated for fasting students, people associated with SFI tried to forcibly serve non-veg there," it stated. (ANI)