‘Put the past behind’: JNU Vice-Chancellor reaches out to students

The Vice-Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University has reached out to students after the violence on Sunday, urging them to “make a new beginning”.

“The incident that took place on Sunday is unfortunate. Our campus is known for debates and discussions in resolving issues, violence is not a solution. We will find every opportunity to make sure that normalcy returns to the university,” Vice-Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar said on Tuesday.

Let us make a new beginning and put the past behind, he added.

He also made an appeal to the students who are leaving JNU to come back, assuring that the campus is a secure place. “I would like to tell students that JNU campus is secure place. I have urged all students to come back to the campus,” Kumar said.

“Our heart goes out to all injured students, the incident (violence) is unfortunate,” said the Vice-Chancellor.

His remarks came after attack from the JNU Students’ Union (JNUSU) in the wake of the Sundays violence. The JNUSU has accused Kumar of behaving like a “mobster” and of “perpetrating violence” in the university. They have also called for his resignation.

“The violence that happened is the result of the desperation and frustration of the VC and his cronies,” the JNUSU said in a statement.

More than 30 students were injured on Sunday when a masked mob went on the rampage, attacking students and teachers and vandalising property.

The Left-backed student unions and Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad supported by the RSS have accused each other of inciting the violence.

The Delhi Police is investigating the incident. Joint Commissioner Shalini Singh, the Delhi Police officer who has been assigned to submit a fact-finding report to the Ministry of Home Affairs, visited the JNU campus on Tuesday.

“We have visited all the spots and interacted with students in JNU. Currently, the investigation is in its initial stage. Students have put their confidence in us and given us a few inputs,” she said.

The JNU administration and politicians, cutting across political lines, had condemned the attack on students and urged the police to take action against the perpetrators.

The Hindu Raksha Dal, a fringe outfit, has claimed responsibility for the violence in JNU.