At least five ABVP students have head injuries caused by sharp-edged objects: BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi

NEW DELHI: BJP MP from New Delhi constituency Meenakshi Lekhi said on Wednesday that at least five students from the ABVP, the student's wing of the RSS, have serious head injuries caused by attacks with sharp objects during the mob assault on JNU on Sunday.

Nearly 34 students, including JNUSU president Aishe Ghosh were injured in the Sunday attack.

The students' organisation has blamed ABVP students and teachers for the attack. Delhi Police has made no arrest so far.

Protests across the country have been held to show solidarity for the JNU violence.

Questions have also been raised over the failure of the JNU administration in controlling the violence.

Lekhi, who was among the first political leaders to reach AIIMS where the injured students were taken, told ET that she rushed to the hospital on Sunday evening, after she received frantic calls from ABVP students citing violence on the campus.

"I was in Vasant Vihar that evening in a meeting with residents when I got calls from ABVP students from the campus asking for help because they were under attack. I felt, if I enter the university it will amount to provocation. I thought the administration and police should first do their job of calming tempers down," Lekhi said.

Meanwhile, Delhi Police has registered two FIRs for incidents that happened in JNU on January 3 and January 4 where Ghosh and others were named.

The injuries on the ABVP students were not being talked about as they are not "dramatic" enough, Lekhi said.

"The vandalism that happened in Periyar hostel is the real story.. the glass panes, doors and windows have been broken and ABVP students were beaten up. Most of them have stitches at the back of their heads, lacerated wounds caused due to sharp objects, and stitches.At least five of them... I am in touch with them. This is a clear case of section 308 under IPC because the injury is grievous," she said.

"Nowadays, the way they do stitches is more like staple pins, you don't cover the wound, the doctor just shaves the portion and stitches it up. The dramatic impact is missing, but there are plenty of wounds at the back of their heads. Another member has a serious spine injury, one suddenly developed a memory issue.." Lekhi added.

"But, on the other hand, a member of the other group is presented in front of the media with a huge bandage. A lot is happening for propaganda and optics, while the reality is completely different," the MP said, without taking names.

Recounting her time at the AIIMS trauma centre on Sunday night, Lekhi said she spoke to students from both sides.

"I asked them, would they ever do with their own members what they did with the girls of ABVP...I have spoken to these girls who were hit on their back, hips.. some very inappropriately, so much so that their parents rushed to AIIMS and took them away immediately... They also had to be taken to the bathroom to check the injuries," she said.

According to Lekhi, the Sunday violence was a "well organised attempt to silence voices of those who wanted the registration process of the university to go on as usual."

"It is important to note which group outnumbers the other on the JNU campus. As an MP, I desisted from going into the campus, why did the other responsible people not to do the same," she said.