Shillong, Mar 25: Police received two complaints following the assault of two persons including the vice president of the North Eastern Hill University Students Union (NEHUSU) after a clash during a holi celebration in the university campus on Monday.
“Two persons received injuries and have given two FIRs. They have been taken for medical examination to civil hospital,” East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police Rituraj Ravi said.
One FIR filed by NEHUSU is against Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) members who had attended the Holi celebration.
According to NEHUSU finance secretary Mandor Diengdoh, the vice president of the union Easterson Sohtun sustained injury.
“The vice president objected to the holding of the programme by allowing people from outside to provoke the students of the university but he was assaulted by them,” Diengdoh said.
“It iwas a programme to celebrate Holi. There is no harm if it is being celebrated by NEHU students but now people from outside are coming and provoking the students with their ideology”, Diengdoh said.
The ABVP, Shillong Unit has condemned the NEHUSU vice president for allegedly making false allegations against the organisation.
In a statement, ABVP state joint secretary Bomsing Khongtir said, “It is to be mentioned that on 25th March 2024, World Organisation of Students and Youth (WOSY), had organised a get-together programme to celebrate Holi Festival inside the NEHU campus. The members of ABVP were also invited to attend the aforementioned Holi celebration. The WOSY had organised the event to have a cultural exchange among the students and international students of NEHU to be felicitated during the programme.”
“The event was going very smoothly until NEHUSU VP Easterson Sohtun intentionally tried to disturb the peace and tranquillity of the programme by intentionally hitting some common students of the University which was a pre-plan by him and his friends,” he said.
Khongtir said ABVP, Shillong unit wanted proper investigation into the matter and also assures to cooperate fully with the police during the course of enquiry.
“Such types of hooligan activities are not accepted in the university. ABVP, Shillong unit demands proper and impartial investigation into the matter,” he said.
The ABVP also denied the allegation made by NEHUSU vice president of attacking students who were celebrating holi in the university campus.
Following the clash, the security personnel of NEHU and police took control of the situation.
Meghalaya ABVP leaders alleged that it was Sohtun and his groups who had started the clash with weapons such as sticks.
ABVP State Secretary Tengku M Marak said that even though he is a Christian by faith, he had come to take part in celebration of Holi, as he was invited by fellow students in the campus.
Marak termed the allegation as baseless and not acceptable and had demanded NEHUSU vice president to justify who are the ABVP members who started the clash.
“We demand from NEHUSU vice president Easterson Sohtun to clarify, who are the members of ABVP who created trouble failing which we will be compelled to file defamation cases against him and his group,” Marak said.
He said while everyone was celebrating Holi, there were four members who started to attack one student and in order to calm down the situation, Kamlesh had to intervene.
“This allegation made by NEHUSU vice president is just to tarnish the image of ABVP which is not acceptable hence we demand from Sohtun to clarify on the incident, failing which we will file defamation case” he added.
