On Sunday, masked goons carrying sticks and rods had indulged in violence inside the JNU campus. The narrative, within minutes of the ruckus inside the JNU campus, was that of lies, deception and misinformation. While the Congress link to the violence inside the campus soon emerged and the attack seemed coordinated by the Left, a sinister narrative blaming everything from Hindutva politics, to the PM and HM started being peddled.
One of the narratives that were dangerously peddled was after one of the first videos of the attack emerged.
#WATCH Delhi: Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union president & students attacked by people wearing masks on campus. ‘What is this? Who are you? Step back, Who are you trying to threaten?… ABVP go back,’ can be heard in video. (note: abusive language) pic.twitter.com/gYqBOmA37c
— ANI (@ANI) January 5, 2020
In the video, one can see absolute pandamonium with slogans like ‘ABVP go back’ being chanted.
Once the video surfaced, sinister propaganda took root. A Twitter user alleged that one of the masked goons in the video, a girl, was an ABVP functionary.
You want proof. Here’s the proof: ABVP leader in mask and without mask in same dress: pic.twitter.com/CMa0VrMmGc
— Reclaim India (@AgeOfGomutra) January 5, 2020
This assertion was based on the clothes the two were wearing. The ABVP functionary who was alleged to be in the video is one Shambhavi who was herself attacked and was at AIIMS trauma centre on Sunday.
To ascertain whether the two – the masked goon and Shambhavi – are the same people, we must examine the two pictures closely.
At the very onset, the built of the two women in the picture looks completely different. When one looks at the two images side by side, it is evident that the masked goon is physically heavier than the one on the right, who is Shambhavi, the ABVP activist.
Right – ABVP activist Shambhavi
Next, the most obvious thing that stands out is the difference in the check-patterns of their shirts.
Right: Shirt of the ABVP activist
As can be very evidently noticed, the checks on the shirt of the masked goon are much smaller compared to the checks in Shambhavi’s shirt. Also, the pattern appears completely different.
Now there are some other stark differences which hardly make sense.
Firstly, the shoes of both individuals are different. Now, it should be mentioned that the allegations are that these two images are from more or less the same period of time. If the allegations are to be considered true, Shambhavi first attacked with her face covered and then headed to the hospital.
If that be the case, from the photos above, it stands to reason the Shambhavi did the following:
1. She changed her shoes after she attacked everyone and before heading over to the hospital since the masked goon seems to be wearing sneakers and Shambhavi in the hospital is wearing chappals.
2. Mysteriously, Shambhavi, after masking herself and unleashing and attack JNU apparently wore a Kalawa before she headed to the hospital, injured.
Both these scenarios seem to make little to no sense.
Essentially, it is impossible for the two girls in those pictures to be the same person. The allegation that the masked goon is the ABVP activist Shambhavi seems motivated and outlandish.
It is pertinent to note here that JNU has now issued a statement that miscreants attacked those students who were trying to register for the next semester and wanted to study. Just a day ago, masked goons, allegedly the Left students, had entered the information centre and disrupted the registration process. They had also switched the server off and created a ruckus.
