ABVP, NCP workers clash at Pune college; lawmaker manhandled

Amidst drama at Fergusson College over the purported raising of anti-national slogans, a Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLA was allegedly manhandled on campus as a clash broke out between workers of his party and ABVP supporters on Wednesday.

A day after heated exchanges there between ABVP activists and students affiliated to Left organisations, NCP legislator Jitendra Awhad was allegedly manhandled on the Fergusson campus during a clash, which led to the deployment of a riot squad and saw the police stepping in to control the situation.

The MLA wanted to meet Fergusson College principal R Pardeshi to discuss Tuesday’s incident and reached the campus around 4.30 pm. But unable to meet Pardeshi, he started addressing NCP workers on campus.

While he was speaking, members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and BJP’s youth wing, Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, started raising slogans against Awhad and allegedly heckled him. 

Awhad’s supporters and the rival groups soon came to blows and he leader was allegedly manhandled during the melee.

The police had to intervene and escorted Awhad to his car. but even after the NCP leader had got inside the vehicle, footwear and stones were hurled at his car.

The police had to resort to mild lathicharge to disperse the crowd before Awhad and his supporters left the campus. After the clash, a riot control squad was deployed.

“We are yet to detain anybody in this connection. We will study CCTV footage to check what exactly happened," said a police officer.