Anti-national sloganeering video at Ramjas looks doctored, says Delhi police

The Delhi Police, on Thursday, said the video footage of alleged “anti-national slogans” raised in Ramjas college in February, during a fight between the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and the Left-affiliated All India Students’ Association (AISA) over an invitation to former JNU student Umer Khalid, appears doctored. 

Submitting a report before a Delhi court, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) Madhur Verma said, “The video clip, obtained from an unknown social network, apparently looks doctored.” 

“The clip was an amalgamation of the Ramjas protests, speeches made by Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student Umar Khalid, sloganeering at JNU and other incidents. However, the video will be sent for forensic examination,” he added.

The court was hearing a plea submitted by advocate Vivek Garg, who had submitted the video to the police, seeking an FIR to be lodged against those who allegedly raised anti-national slogans.

On February 22, a clash had broken out between AISA and ABVP over cancellation of Khalid’s talk in an event called the “Culture of Protest” at Ramjas College. The ABVP had also protested against the invitation of  Shehla Rashid, former JNU students union vice-president to the same event. Flooding the alleged event Khalid and others were accused of sedition, a Hindu report stated. 

ABVP has condemned the Action Taken Report submitted to the court. Saket Bahuguna, ABVP’s National Media Convener deemed the statement of police “irresponsible and self-contradictory”. ABVP also alleges that videos provided by the student organisation were not considered and only the petitioners video has been examined.