ABVP: Four booked for vandalising Jain idol relieved of duties

ABVP national secretary Rahul Valmiki said the decision was taken by the head of Meerut unit of ABVP.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the ABVP said, “The idols of Goddesses Shrutudevi and Saraswati are like mothers to us. We respect both the Goddesses of knowledge from our hearts. With this regard, the ABVP workers held a demonstration without proper knowledge and without consulting seniors. This comes under indiscipline… For this, the Ankur Chaudhary, Akshay Bharadwaj, Yachika Tomar and Happy Sharma have been relieved of all responsibilities for the organisation.”

D K Jain, joint secretary of Digamber Jain College in Baraut, had earlier said that around 10-15 people claiming to be ABVP members indulged in vandalism inside the college over an idol of Goddess Shrutdevi. “Some youngsters started vandalism on the campus and said they wanted to speak to the principal. They behaved like goons and misbehaved with officials. When the principal went to speak to them, they said they wanted to talk to the management. In the meantime, police reached. I got a call that they want to submit a memorandum,” Jain had said.

The four have been booked under IPC sections 147 (rioting), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), and 506 (criminal intimidation).