New Delhi: Students and teachers at Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) were beaten up and property damaged Sunday evening during a gathering organised by the teachers’ association of the university (JNUTA).
Disturbing visuals of students bleeding from the attack and masked men roaming on the campus carrying sticks and batons surfaced on social media, as did visuals of faculty member Sucharita Sen, bleeding while sitting on a wheelchair at a hospital.
JNU professor Atul Sood also confirmed that faculty and students were both attacked. No response was received from the JNU administration despite repeated attempts to contact them.
Registrar Pramod Kumar sent out a message, stating: “This is an urgent message for the entire JNU Community that there is a law and order situation in the JNU Campus. Masked miscreants armed with sticks are roaming around, damaging property and attacking people. The JNU Administration has called the police to maintain order.”
He added: “This is the moment to remain calm and be on the alert. In view of the largeness of the campus, number 100 can also be dialled. Efforts are already being made to tackle the miscreants.”
While the identity of the attackers has not yet been confirmed independently, students alleged they were from the RSS’ student wing Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP).
The ABVP, however, denied the charge and claimed its members, who protested against the disruption of internet Sunday, were then attacked by the members of Left.
Also read: JNUSU claims 6 students have been suspended for protesting against fee hike
Allegations against ABVP
Students on campus said the mob entered the campus unchecked by security, and went around from one hostel to another, vandalising property and cars, and attacking them. Various students sent SOS messages on social media and various WhatsApp groups to draw attention to the situation and claimed that the attack had been going on for a long time.
“A peaceful gathering of JNUTA was going on near Sabaramati Dhaba against fee-hike, when people from ABVP came there are started attacking students and teachers. Later in the evening, ABVP in police presence was moving around with lathis, rods, hammers with their faces under masks,” JNU Students’ Union member Saket said.
“They were pelting bricks, climbing over walls and getting into hostels and beating up students. Several teachers and students have also been beaten up. JNUSU president Aishe Ghosh has been brutally attacked and her head is bleeding very badly.”
ABVP’s response
Durgesh Kumar, president of the ABVP’s JNU unit said: “JNUSU and Left student organisations have been resorting to violence on a regular basis and have harmed the common students of the university. The attack on ABVP today shows the violent side of these organisations. Left cannot intimidate students through violence. We request the administration to take action to stop such violent acts.”
Also read: JNU hostel fee will be highest among central universities despite partial roll-back: Govt
#Shift JNU
Kindly shift to some rural/quiet place so that talented young researcher can study without disturbance.
This media/politician people try to defocus em from research & study by politicizing everything.
Government can monetize land in metro/capital city.
please, if you are in delhi, go there and try to stop the mob – only presence of citizens in large numbers may stop this bloodbath…
US attacks Iran. …….. Attacks JNU.
Earlier today, read a long interview with Professor Jayati Ghosh – in the Hindu – in which she speaks with so much pride that JNU is one of the best universities in India / Asia / the world. It would be wonderful if FM and EAM – both of whom have studied here – could visit JNU and by the sheer moral force of their distinguished presence restore sanity to the campus. The Vice Chancellor … what can one say about him without sounding like an urban Naxal.
The leftists are getting desperate, they seem ready to don masks and attack their brethren just to stay in the headlines and keep the pot boiling.