Delhi: Clash in Hindu College over Valentine’s Day puja

New Delhi: Members of Hindu College Students’ Union and ABVP clashed with those of leftist SFI and AISA as well as Pinjra Tod over the ‘virgin tree puja’ on the campus on Valentine’s Day. The violence erupted after the puja, an annual ritual by the inmates of the Hindu College boys’ hostel, was disrupted by Pinjra Tod members. Hostel inmates claimed that they were attacked by the protesters who did not let the puja take place.
The scuffle took place on the road outside the college despite heavy police presence.Pinjra Tod later filed a complaint at Maurice Nagar police station.
Pinjra Tod members initially shouted slogans at the gate against the “misogynist tradition” even as some college students gathered there. A few students then clashed with the protesters. “I went to the college today to extend my solidarity with the protests. But the union and ABVP members started beating us up,” said a student.
Rahul Chowdhary, a college student, however, said Pinjra Tod members had attacked inmates. “They entered the campus and started slapping us without any provocation.”
ABVP later claimed it was not involved in the violence. “A few of our members may have gone there after hearing about the violence, but the clash was between college students and Left groups,” said Monica Chaudhary, ABVP national media convener.
The inmates every year worship an acacia tree shaped like ‘V’ hoping to ‘find love in six months and lose virginity in a year’. A poster of a Bollywood actress is usually worshipped as ‘Damdami Mai’. But this year, they put up a poster of Kohli and Anushka Sharma. Chowdhary said the change was made as protesters had called the event vulgar. “Still they even beat up several of our girl students,” said a student.
Pinjra Tod said its members gathered at the hostel gate on Wednesday night itself “to send a strong signal” against the puja. Many girl students also joined them, defying the hostel curfew, it claimed. However, ABVP men posing as “apolitical” students labelled them as goondas, it said.
SFI also claimed two of its activists were beaten up by ABVP members.