NSUI, ABVP clash at Pune hostel ahead of Rahul Gandhi's campus event

Members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and the National Students' Union of India (NSUI) clashed at the COEP Technological University hostel here on Friday, ahead of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's "Chhatron Ki Goonj" event in the city.

Police were deployed in large numbers on campus following the incident.

ABVP members claimed Congress workers were forcing female students at the College of Engineering, Pune (COEP) to register for Saturday's event, while Congress leaders said two female students who had spoken in support of the event were confined and threatened inside the hostel by ABVP workers.

Senior Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar, who visited the hostel after the incident, alleged that ABVP workers had threatened the two students.

Akshay Jain, president of the Maharashtra Pradesh Youth Congress's media department, called the incident "extremely unfortunate," saying the two students had raised concerns over their scholarships and had voiced support for the Chhatron Ki Goonj event.

Atharv Kulkarni, ABVP's Pradesh Mantri, countered that NSUI workers had entered the hostel premises and were forcing female students to register for Saturday's event.