New Delhi: The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has ordered an inquiry into the recent defacement of campus walls with casteist slurs.
The university has also formed a committee to expose the culprits behind the smear slogans, noticed Thursday evening on the walls of the School of Language, Literature and Cultural Studies-II and the School of International Relations.
Anti-Brahmin slogans like “Brahmins-Baniyas, we are coming for you” and “There will be blood” were painted on the walls. The identity of the perpetrators is yet to be established.
University official told ThePrint that there was calm in the campus despite the slogans being highly provocative. It has been handled maturely, they said.
They also said: “It is unfortunate that such an incident took place in the campus. The Vice-Chancellor has ordered an inquiry and is looking into the issue seriously. A committee has also been formed.”
The right-wing students union on campus, the ABVP, has accused the Left of vandalism.
ABVP JNU President Rohit Kumar said in a statement: “ABVP condemns the rampant vandalisation of academic spaces by communist goons. The communists have written abuses on the walls of JNU in the School of International Studies- II building. They have defaced chambers of free-thinking professors to intimidate them.”
A student leader from the Left, wishing to remain anonymous, said their organisation has always pushed for the eradication of caste. Making such casteist remarks go against our grain,” he said.
He added, “Whenever we want to raise our voice, we do so by issuing a public statement and directly name the person in the wrong. From my understanding, this seems like a move to demotivate a Dalit sanitation workers in our campus, Jitendra Kumar, who is contesting the MCD (civic body) elections for the Lado Sarai seat.”
Students alleged that the act could be aimed at making Kumar “look like the culprit” in order to damage his electoral prospects.
In a statement, the university said that Vice Chancellor Santishree Pandit has “taken a serious note of the incident of defacement of walls and faculty rooms by some unknown elements in the SIS, JNU”.
The statement further said, “The Deans, School of International Studies and Grievances, have been asked to inquire and submit a report to the VC at the earliest. JNU stands for inclusion and equality. The VC reiterates zero tolerance for any kind of violence on campus.”
Also read: JNU VC condemns ‘exclusivist tendencies’ after campus walls defaced with anti-Brahmin slogans