BJP alleges organised groups behind Delhi violence, targets left student bodies
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday accused left-affiliated student organisations, including the All India Students' Association (AISA) and the Students' Federation of India (SFI), along with other organised groups, of instigating protests and violence during a march to Parliament by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP).
In a strongly worded statement, BJP functionary Amit Malviya said the violence did not appear spontaneous and that organised groups initiated the unrest, after which sections of the crowd joined in. He likened the incident to previous episodes of violence in Delhi, where similar allegations of organised instigation and crowd mobilisation were made, and noted that several individuals continue to face legal proceedings in those cases.
“The stone-pelting and orchestrated violence carried out in the name of students raise serious questions about the intent of the protesters and those backing them,” Malviya said. He pointed to the “conspicuous absence of many of the prominent faces associated with the protest from the march itself,” leaving those who had been mobilised at the behest of their political patrons to face the consequences.
“The real conspirators are often those who plan, encourage and coordinate such violence while carefully keeping themselves out of harm’s way. They move on to the next agitation, leaving those they mobilised to bear the legal consequences,” Malviya added, asserting that the investigation would establish criminal responsibility.
The CJP, a little-known political group, had been holding a protest at Jantar Mantar since last month, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged paper leaks. The protest has drawn support from opposition parties.
The BJP’s allegations come amid heightened political tensions. The party has not provided specific evidence of the conspiracy, but Malviya indicated that law enforcement agencies are investigating the matter. No arrests have been reported so far in connection with the march violence.
