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Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP)-JNU Secretary Shikha Swaraj condemned the alleged stone pelting and protests during the screening of the film 'The Sabarmati Report' at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on Thursday saying that they want a discussion on the incident and called it an attack on free speech.
Speaking to ANI, Swaraj explained that during the film screening, which was organised by ABVP at the Sabarmati Dhaba on the JNU campus, stones were allegedly thrown from the terrace or balcony of the Dhaba. "A screening of the film 'The Sabarmati Report' was organised by the ABVP at Sabarmati Dhaba (in JNU campus). During that time, we witnessed the stones being pelted from the terrace or maybe the balcony of the Dhaba. Those who were sitting at the front suffered minor injuries. We saw the torn poster of the movie. Whether you agree or disagree, you cannot restrict the screening of the film. ABVP-JNU condemns this. We want a discussion to happen," she said. The screening of 'The Sabarmati Report', a film based on the Gujarat Godhra incident, was disrupted at JNU on Thursday after alleged stone pelting and protests by some students. The event, organised by the ABVP at the Sabarmati Dhaba, was reportedly halted midway after chaos erupted. The university administration has not responded to the incident so far. According to ABVP, unidentified miscreants pelted stones at the audience, leading to panic and the eventual cancellation of the screening. They alleged that the attack was orchestrated by left-leaning students on campus. The incident also saw posters of the film being torn down and slogans raised against the screening, further escalating tensions, ABVP alleged. In a statement, ABVP JNU condemned the attack, calling it a "cowardly assault on freedom of expression, dialogue, and democratic values." The RSS-affiliated group claimed the film aimed to foster discussions on issues allegedly suppressed by "intellectual elites" in the country. "This barbaric act is not just an attack on individuals but on the principles of free speech and thought. It reflects the intolerance of certain anti-Bharat, anti-Hindu forces within the campus who cannot tolerate the resurgence of truth and righteousness," the statement read. However, the incident has reignited discussions around freedom of expression and the ideological conflicts that often arise within educational institutions. (ANI)
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