Mumbai: More students from various colleges in Mumbai joined the protest at the Gateway of India here Monday morning to condemn the violence at the Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi.
The students shouted slogans condemning the violence. Earlier, as the protest began Sunday midnight, a group of students held a candlelight vigil to show solidarity with the JNU students.
Youngsters, mostly students from different colleges in Mumbai, assembled on pavement across the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel near the Gateway of India to condemn the violence.
It was an “impromptu assembly at a short notice”, a student said.
Violence broke out in JNU Sunday night as masked men armed with sticks and rods attacked students and teachers and damaged property on the campus, prompting the administration to call in police which conducted a flag march.
At least 28 people, including JNU Students’ Union (JNUSU) president Aishe Ghosh, were injured as chaos reigned on the campus for nearly two hours.
Eyewitnesses alleged that the attackers entered the premises when a meeting was being held by JNU Teachers’ Association over the issue of violence on the campus, and assaulted students and professors. They also barged into three hostels.
Video footage aired by some TV channels showed a group of men, who were brandishing hockey sticks and rods, moving around a building.
The Left-controlled JNUSU and the RSS-backed Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) blamed each other for the incident.
Also read: Amit Shah speaks to Delhi Police chief about JNU violence, orders probe
Bollywood actors Swara Bhasker, Shabana Azmi, Mohd Zeeshan Ayyub and Taapsee Pannu, and filmmakers Aparna Sen and Hansal Mehta also condemned the violence at the university and urged Delhi Police to intervene.
Swara, whose mother Ira Bhaskar is a professor at the JNU, took to Twitter to appeal to the people on social media to reach the campus “to pressure the government and Delhi Police” to control the violence.
“Urgent appeal!!!! To all Delhiites PLS gather in large numbers outside the Main Gate of JNU campus on Baba Gangnath Marg.. to pressure the govt. & #DelhiPolice to stop the rampage by alleged ABVP masked goons on JNU campus,” the actor captioned the video, adding that she was concerned about her parents’ safety who live at the campus.
Urgent appeal!!!! To all Delhiites PLS gather in large numbers outside the Main Gate of JNU campus on Baba Gangnath Marg.. to pressure the govt. & #DelhiPolice to stop the rampage by alleged ABVP masked goons on JNU campus. PLS PLS share to everyone in Delhi!???? 9pm on 5th. Jan pic.twitter.com/IXgvvazoSn
— Swara Bhasker (@ReallySwara) January 5, 2020
Commenting on Swara’s video, Azmi said she was shocked by the violence and called for immediate action against the perpetrators.
“Is this really happening ? Im not in India and it all seems like a nightmare. 20 Students Admitted To AIIMS As Violence Breaks Out In JNU. Students and Teachers beaten. Reprehensible, Appalling Condemnable. Immediate action must be taken against the perpetrators,” she tweeted.
Is this really happening ? Im not in India and it all seems like a nightmare. 20 Students Admitted To AIIMS As Violence Breaks Out In JNU https://t.co/l1Y3PXgtAJ
— Azmi Shabana (@AzmiShabana) January 5, 2020
Aparna alleged that the JNU students were being beaten up by Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) “goons”.
“How much longer are you going to look the other way? Or r u spineless? Yes I AM a liberal! Yes, I AM secular! And proud to be so if THIS is the alternative. Shame! Shame on ABVP & the police who are aiding & abetting them!” she tweeted.
Taapsee said it was saddening to see an educational institution “getting scarred forever”. She shared a video allegedly showing the situation on campus.
“Such is the condition inside what we consider to be a place where our future is shaped. It’s getting scarred for ever. Irreversible damage. What kind of shaping up is happening here, it’s there for us to see…” Taapsee tweeted.
such is the condition inside what we consider to be a place where our future is shaped. It’s getting scarred for ever. Irreversible damage. What kind of shaping up is happening here, it’s there for us to see…. saddening https://t.co/Qt2q7HRhLG
— taapsee pannu (@taapsee) January 5, 2020
Zeeshan asked people to reach the JNU in large numbers.
“By closing the doors and roads they have given free hand to their goons. Tell your friends and relatives, tell everyone and gather there together,” the actor said in a tweet.
“Friends in Okhla and Jamia go to Shaheen Bagh. This #JNUAttack has been done to divert attention and they’ll surely attack Shaheen Bagh at night,” he tweeted.
Zeeshan further called for peace amid violence and urged people to exercise patience and take care of their friends.
Director Anurag Kashyap retweeted several purported videos of violence and vandalism from the JNU.
Mehta asked Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to intervene.
“Dear @ArvindKejriwal. Can you do something to stop the violence in JNU?” the filmmaker tweeted.
Writer Kanika Dhillon too asked Kejriwal to step in.
“Sir!!! Pls atleast reach there!!!! Ur presence will help!!!!” she said.
“Masaan” fame director Neeraj Ghaywan asked the police to help the students.
“Extremely distressing video from JNU. @DelhiPolice, these are students, the future of our nation, like your own. Help them please!” Ghaywan wrote.
Filmmaker Vinod Kapri also shared an alleged video from JNU campus.
“This is a horrifying video. At least 30-40 masked goons are vandalising JNU hostel. Delhi Police is nowhere to be seen. This has full political support. TV news channels have shut their eyes,” Kapri tweeted.
Filmmaker-composer Vishal Bhardwaj also condemned the violence. “It’s shameful and enraging to see what’s happening in #JNUViolence,” he said.
Director Bejoy Nambiar questioned the silence of many in the film fraternity.
“All you silent friends of mine watch this !!! Watch this & then come and talk to me about how concerned you are about the damage to public’ property. How is THIS OK ? How can we watch students & teachers being brutally attacked like this and stay quiet ?” he asked.
“#SOSJNU @DelhiPolice this is NOT OK. JNUSU president has been brutally beaten up. She is severely wounded. Media Please het there @ndtv @BBCIndia #JNU,” tweeted director Onir.
Actor Richa Chadha said: “A few months ago JNU gave the world a Nobel laureate. Now JNU teachers and students are being beaten up for protesting a fee hike. World watches.”
“Frightening visuals from #JNU. Praying that the #Delhipolice intervene swiftly and protect the students. Stay safe students. What a scary world we live in,” wrote actor Siddharth on the microblogging site.
Director Anubhav Sinha tweeted: “Either this Government is not capable of maintaining law and order or they are complicit…”
Writer Gaurav Solanki called the attack on the varsity “an act of terror by terrorists”.
Director Anurag Basu said: “We can’t remain mute spectators anymore! #SOSJNU”.
We can't remain mute spectators anymore!!#SOSJNU
— anurag basu (@basuanurag) January 5, 2020
Actor Renuka Shahane wrote on the microblogging site: “Complete lawlessness! How could masked goons enter JNU & terrorize students and teachers? What is @DelhiPolice doing?… Unbelievable!! Scary!! Shameful.”
Also read: Delhi Police says masked JNU attackers were students, not outsiders