At least 20 persons, including JNU Students' Union president Aishe Ghosh, were injured after violence broke out at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on Sunday night as masked men armed with sticks attacked students and teachers and damaged property on the campus.
All the injured teachers and the students were taken to All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) as chaos reigned on the campus for over two hours. The violence, which began Sunday evening, prompted the JNU administration to call in the police which conducted a flag march later in the day.
As the reports of clashes and attack on the students at the JNU hostels started coming in, the university's students union alleged that the RSS-backed Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) was behind the attack.
According to a JNUSU statement, three hostels -- Sabarmati Hostel, Mahi Mandvi Hostel, Periyar Hostel -- of JNU were attacked allegedly by the ABVP members from outside the campus.
The JNUSU, on Twitter, said that the "ABVP attackers, with covered faces, are trying to enter Periyar Hostel" by climbing the pipes". "ABVP members wearing masks were moving around on the campus with lathis, rods, and hammers," the students' union said in a tweet. The ABVP, however, has claimed that its members were attacked by the Left organisations.
The Home and HRD ministries sought reports from Delhi Police and JNU administration, respectively. Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to the Delhi Police chief and enquired about the situation at JNU.
JNU VIOLENCE: 10 POINTS
1. The Jawaharlal Nehru University students alleged that the attackers entered hostels and assaulted students and teachers. Video footage aired by some TV channels showed a group of men, who were brandishing hockey sticks, moving around a building.
2. The Left-controlled JNUSU and the ABVP blamed each other for the violence. The students' union alleged that its members, including Aishe Ghosh, were injured in stone-pelting by ABVP members. A video showed the JNUSU president bleeding from her head and saying that she was brutally beaten up and that she was not in a condition to talk.
3. The RSS-backed students' organisation alleged that its members were brutally attacked by Left-affiliated student outfits and 25 of them were injured, while 11 were missing. Among the injured was the secretary of its JNU unit.
4. Moments after clashes were reported at three reported JNU hostels, university registrar Pramod Kumar said the administration has called the police to maintain law and order in the campus. He also asked the students to remain calm and be on alert.
"Efforts are already being made to tackle the miscreants," he added.
5. Swaraj Abhiyan chief Yogendra Yadav was allegedly manhandled outside the JNU campus where a large number of students have gathered. Yogendra Yadav later claimed no one was there to stop the "hooliganism" and he was not allowed to speak to the media.
6. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal urged Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal to restore order on the JNU campus after violence erupted there and the LG said he has directed police to take action against the perpetrators.
7. Hours after the violence at the JNU hostels, the Delhi Police entered the campus on the "request of the JNU administration" to control the situation. The Delhi Police also said that the tension was between two groups which resulted in the law and situation at the JNU.
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8. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southwest) Devender Arya has said that the situation inside the campus is normal and all the hostel areas have been secured. He also said that an extensive flag march was conducted inside the campus and the police deployment was done at strategic points.
9. The violence drew strong reactions from opposition parties which hit out at the BJP and accused "those in power" of trying to scuttle the voice of students. Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who visited AIIMS to meet the injured students, has said that one of the injured students told her that he was hit on his head by the police.
"Wounded students at AIIMS trauma centre told me that goons entered the campus and attacked them with sticks and other weapons. Many had broken limbs and injuries on their heads. One student said the police kicked him several times on his head," Priyanka Gandhi tweeted.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also condemned the JNU violence and attacked the government, saying the "fascists in control of our nation, are afraid of the voices of our brave students". He added that today's violence at JNU is a "reflection of that fear".
Many opposition leaders have also condemned the violence at JNU.
10. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Foreign Minister S Jaishankar, both alumni of the JNU, condemned the violence at the varsity.
The government wants universities to be safe for students, Sitharaman said. "Have seen pictures of what is happening in JNU. Condemn the violence unequivocally. This is completely against the tradition and culture of the university," Jaishankar tweeted.
