ABVP, SFI activists clash in Savitribai Phule Pune University; situation tense

Pune: Tension prevailed on the campus of Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) here this evening after activists of Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad and Students' Federation of India clashed.

"Both the groups came to the police station and registration of cross-complaints was underway," said a duty officer at Chatushringi police station.

Pradip Gavade, an ABVP activist, alleged that SFI members were putting up posters which said `ABVP Murdabad' in the campus.

"When our members objected, they started intimidating us and attacked us," said Gavade, speaking to PTI.

"In the morning, ABVP had staged a protest on the campus to condemn the invitation to JNU student Umar Khalid at Ramjas College in Delhi. To counter that the activists from SFI were putting up posters," he added.

"We did not beat them, we were beaten up by SFI activists," he alleged.

However, SFI activist Mao Chavan, who was not a part of the melee, said that to protest against Solapur MLC Prashant Paricharak's insulting remarks about soldiers and the violence at Rajmas College in Delhi, SFI had organised a protest on the SPPU campus this evening.

"When the protest was going on, all of a sudden activists of ABVP arrived and attacked SFI activists," Chavan alleged.