Director Vivek Agnihotri, who has claimed the plot of his film "Buddha In A Traffic Jam" is similar to the ongoing controversy at JNU, has offered to pay the fine imposed by the university on ABVP member Saurabh Sharma in connection with the row.
"Dear @SaurabhJNU If the price of loving your country and opposing 'Kanhaiyas' then let me pay your fine of Rs 10000 as my support. #IAmBuddha," the filmmaker tweeted.
The JNUSU Joint Secretary, who is the lone ABVP member in JNU students body replied, "Thanks for your blessing sir. It's not about the punishment. It's about principles. We are fighting for Nation. Why pay single penny? (sic)."
Saurabh had raised objections to the February 9 event on campus against hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru during which anti-national slogans were allegedly raised.
The university administration had withdrawn the permission for the event on basis of his complaint but the organisers had gone ahead with the programme.
He has been slapped with a fine of Rs 10,000 by the university after the probe panel found him "guilty" of blocking traffic on the day of the event.
Saurabh, along with four other members of ABVP, is sitting on an indefinite hunger strike alleging that the university has equated "nationalists" and "anti-nationals" while making the decision and are demanding that the punishment to Saurabh be revoked.
Agnihotri and actor Anupam Kher had stoked a controversy last month when they had alleged that JNU refused to screen their film considering the present atmosphere at the campus, a charge denied by the university.
There are three mechanisms for permission to screen any movie at JNU - at a students union event, administration event or during the academic calendar of varsity's school of cinema studies.
While Agnihotri had contacted the Cinema studies department, where he was told that the academic calendar for the semester was booked, no requests were made to the other two bodies.
ABVP had then arranged for a screening of the film on campus that took place amid shouting of slogans by Left-affiliated groups who gave Kher a thumbs down.
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