Masked youth enter hostels and attack students as JNU turns battleground
A short video clip circulating on social media shows blood on Ghosh’s face, while she narrates the incident in a state of shock.
Several students, including the president of the students’ union of the Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi were injured in attacks by masked youth carrying rods and sticks on Sunday evening. Confusion reigned supreme with rival political factions accusing each other of engendering the violence that resulted in heavy police deployment on the campus. According to official estimates, at least 18 students were taken to hospitals for treatment.
While Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad blamed the left-leaning students in-charge of the JNU Students Union for entering hostels and beating up ABVP activists, the varsity students union said the ABVP men wearing mask targeted left activists.
“JNU students & ABVP activists brutally attacked by commie goons! Holding university hostage for their vested interests & political gains is all JNUSU & Left goons can do! JNUSU under Left leadership is hell-bent on destroying everything the University stands for. #LeftAttacksJNU,” ABVP’s official tweet read.
Another ABVP tweet claimed that activists of SFI (Students’ Federation of India), All India Students Association (AISA), and the Democratic Students Federation (DSF) had attacked and injured at least 25 ABVP affiliated students.
Watch l JNU violence: Masked men allegedly attack teachers & students inside campus
Conflicting claims were posted by JNUSU (Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union) Twitter account
“Professors who were trying to protect us have been beaten up. These are unknown ABVP goons, not all are students, they have covered their faces, and they are moving towards the hotels near the West Gate. Stay alert. Make human chains. Protect each other. #SOSJNU #EmergencyinJNU.”
JNUSU president Aishe Ghosh was seen in a state of shock and bleeding in the face in a video circulating on social media. In the video, she was also heard saying that she was brutally attacked by goons wearing masks.
Some students said the violence started with members of JNU Students’ Union and ABVP clashing during a public meeting organised by the JNU Teachers’ Association on Sunday evening.
A senior Delhi Police official said the violence started with a clash between rival groups and that weapon-wielding masked youth were varsity students and not outsiders.
“It was a fight between two student groups who vandalized hostels and indulged in violence. Those seen with sticks are also students. There is no such mob outside JNU at present. At least seven students from both sides moved to hospital,” said DCP southwest Devender Arya.
The university administration released two statements; the first said armed and masked miscreants were roaming around the campus damaging property and attacking people, while the second statement put the entire violence in context in detail.
JNU administration blamed the group of students agitating against the hike in hostel fees for shutting down university’s computer servers twice on January 3 and 4 and damaging property to prevent registration of new students. It blamed the same set of students for the Sunday violence.
The university says it quickly contacted police asking it to arrive on campus to maintain law and order, however, by the time the police came, the students “who are for the registration were beaten up by a group of agitating students opposing the registration”.
The statement adds that the masked miscreants also entered the Periyar hostel rooms and attacked the students with sticks and rods. Some of the security guards doing duties at these places were also badly injured.
Statement says the violent protests by a group were harming the interests of thousands of non-agitating students.
Home minister Amit Shah ordered an inquiry to be carried out by a Joint Commissioner of Police level officer and asked for a report to be submitted as soon as possible, said a tweet by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
