JNU ABVP burns select verses of Manusmriti

A faction of the right-wing ABVP’s JNU unit on Tuesday joined a multi-party protest that involved burning select verses of ancient legal text Manusmriti.

The venue of the protest, organised on Tuesday evening, was Sabarmati Dhaba where the controversial event commemorating Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru was held.

According to Pradeep Narwal, who recently resigned from the ABVP, Manusmriti talks in favour of discrimination against dalits and woman and treats them as second-class citizens.

“We want to make it loud and clear that a text which was burnt by Babasaheb Ambedkar will be burnt again and again in JNU,” said a protester.

Activists of Left students organisations and other groups also joined the protest, which had not been allowed by the JNU administration. The varsity said that no permission had been given to any group to burn the Manusmriti.

The protesting students objected to JNU security staff seen recording the event. Sources said that to avoid any controversy as it happened during the February 9 event, the JNU administration has decided to video record all events. The varsity students, however, said that such surveillance is unprecedented in JNU.