Tensions Erupt at Kota College Over Statue Incident

Conflict Erupts Over Statue Damage in Kota

On Friday afternoon, a government college in Kota, Rajasthan, witnessed heightened tensions. A clash broke out between members of the National Students' Union of India (NSUI) and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) over alleged damage to a statue of Swami Vivekananda. Upon receiving reports of the incident, police from the Nayapura station promptly arrived at the college to manage the situation.

The NSUI, affiliated with the Congress party, accused ABVP members of attacking them with iron rods and pulling the hair of some female members. Conversely, the ABVP, linked to the RSS, categorically denied these allegations, labeling them as false.

Vinod Kumar, the Nayapura area officer, provided details about the incident, stating that there was a brief altercation between the two groups, but fortunately, no injuries were reported. He noted that both sides have filed complaints against each other with the police, although no formal case has been registered yet, and an investigation is ongoing.

The background of the dispute reveals that the ABVP had paid tribute to the statue of Swami Vivekananda on Thursday in celebration of National Students' Day and had conducted a cleanliness drive on campus. The NSUI claims that damage to the statue occurred during this event, while the ABVP contends that the statue was already in poor condition and any additional damage was purely accidental.