Ajit Pawar assures state assembly of action in NCC viral video case

A day after a viral video showed National Cadet Corps (NCC) cadets being mercilessly thrashed by a senior at a college in Maharashtra's Thane city, student unions protested outside the institute, while Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said in the state assembly that the issue will be investigated and appropriate action will be taken.

NCC also came out with a statement, saying what is seen in the viral video is neither a reflection of NCC ethos nor a part of any organised training or activity. Opposition leader in the assembly, Vijay Wadettiwar, on Friday raised the issue in the House. Speaker Rahul Narvekar directed the government to take action.

Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar assured the House that strict action will be taken against the culprits. Former CM Prithviraj Chavan also sought action against the person responsible under the anti-ragging law. The video being circulated on social media showing a cadet of NCC beating juniors, neither has any reflection of NCC ethos nor was it part of any organised NCC training or activity. We have no tolerance for such actions and strict action is being taken against the perpetrators, NCC tweeted.

Sudent groups affiliated with the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who is also from Thane, demonstrated outside the Joshi Bedekar College where the incident took place. The college management said it has suspended the student, who can be seen beating NCC cadets during a physical training session on a rainy day. A fellow student is believed to have filmed the thrashing.

The viral video, which sparked public outrage, showed eight cadets in a puddle amid rain, with their heads pinned in the muddy soil instead of using their hands for support. The senior NCC cadet is seen standing behind them, holding a stick, and whacking each of them one by one for failing to execute his challenging drill.

The cadets are seen in a push-up position in a water-logged area with their feet and heads touching the ground and hands folded above the back. When a cadet changes posture, the senior student is seen thrashing him with a stick and going on to thrash others too.