Kota: Workers of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) clashed on the Govt College campus in Kota Friday, a day after a controversy erupted over damage to a statue of Swami Vivekananda.Police said the confrontation took place around noon and was brought under control after personnel from Nayapura police station reached the campus.The dispute stems from an incident Thursday, when the statue was damaged during a floral tribute by ABVP members on National Students’ Day. ABVP maintained that the damage was accidental and said the statue was already in a dilapidated condition.Both student organisations submitted separate complaints at Nayapura police station. Police said no FIR was registered and the matter was under investigation.NSUI state secretary Riddham Sharma alleged that he and other student leaders were attacked while returning from the principal’s chamber after submitting a memorandum seeking action over the damage to the statue and its reinstallation. He claimed he was hit on the head with an iron rod and alleged that female students were assaulted.ABVP rejected the allegations, accusing the NSUI of attempting to politicise the issue. ABVP state secretary Jitendra Lodha termed the allegations false, while Kota Mahanagar secretary Deepti Mewara alleged that the NSUI brought outsiders to the campus to disrupt the academic atmosphere.The ABVP also sought an impartial inquiry into the incident and demanded installation of a new statue of Swami Vivekananda.Circle inspector Vinod Kumar of Nayapura police station said workers of both organisations were involved in a brief scuffle, but no injuries were reported. He said complaints were received from both sides and the investigation was continuing.
