JNU: Masked goons attack students & teachers; police wait for VC’s ‘permission’ to enter campus

Scores of men with faces covered and wielding lathis, rods and hammers entered the JNU campus on Sunday evening and beat up students and teachers with lathis and rods and vandalised hostels as police, despite getting frantic calls from the victims of violence inside, waited outside varsity gates saying they didn’t have the permission from the Vice Chancellor or Registrar to enter inside.

Several students and teachers including JNU Students Union president Aishe Ghosh and professor Sucharita Sen have sustained severe injuries. At least 20 students were admitted to Safdarjung Hospital and AIIMS Trauma Centre in a badly injured condition.

The JNU Students Union and others have accused the right wing Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) as being behind the attack.

Shockingly, as the masked men went on a rampage inside hostels and residential units of teachers, breaking glasses and thrashing students with rods and sticks, no security personnel was in sight.

The varsity has a large posse of security guards, but as per eyewitnesses not a single of them was seen anywhere, including outside the girls hostel, when the attack was going on. Questions have also been raised as to how could the attackers smuggle weapons inside the campus despite security presence at the varsity campus.

Some of the victims said they made frantic calls to the police and university administration, but the police did not turn up. The phones of varsity officials were not reachable.

Activist and Swaraj Abhiyan president Yogendra Yadav was heckled and manhandled by ABVP activists outside JNU gate in the presence of police and mediapersons when he reached the JNU after hearing of the violence.

“As I was speaking with a JNU teacher, a police officer pulled me away and told me that I must leave as I was ‘inciting’ people. He left me in the midst of these goons who attacked me and pushed me down to the ground,” Yadav told mediapersons as an aggressive crowd of RSS-affiliated students wing shouted slogans against him.

The ABVP activists also attacked and roughed up mediapersons who were covering the incident outside the varsity gate. The media was not allowed inside the campus.

The attack started during a public meeting organised by the JNU Teachers' Association.

The JNUSU claimed that "ABVP members wearing masks were moving around on the campus with lathis, rods and hammers".

"They are pelting bricks...getting into hostels and beating up students. Several teachers and students have also been beaten up," the JNUSU said.

Students alleged that outsiders were allowed to enter the campus and they barged into hostels, including girls' hostels.

At long last, the police finally entered the campus around 9 p.m. and staged a flag march. However, till well past 10 p.m. the police had not rounded off any goons or suspect involved in the violence.

Leaders express shock at, condemn JNU violence

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi expressed shock over the violence at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on Sunday night and claimed that it was a "reflection of fear" that "fascists in control of our nation" have of the students.

"The brutal attack on JNU students and teachers by masked thugs, that has left many seriously injured, is shocking. The fascists in control of our nation, are afraid of the voices of our brave students. Today's violence in JNU is a reflection of that fear," he said in a tweet.

After CM Arvind Kejriwal's request, Delhi LG Anil Baijal swung into action and said he directed police to restore order on JNU campus.

"Spoke to Hon'ble LG and urged him to direct police to restore order. He has assured that he is closely monitoring the situation and taking all necessary steps," Kejriwal tweeted.

Shortly after the tweet, Baijal condemned the violence and said he has directed police take all posiible steps to maintain law and order.

"The violence in JNU against students and teachers is highly condemnable. Directed @DelhiPolice to take all possible steps in coordination with JNU Administration to maintain law and order & take action against the perpetrators of violence. The situation is being closely monitored," the LG said in a tweet.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee too condemned the attack on JNU students and announced that a Trinamool Congress delegation led by Lok Sabha MP Dinesh Trivedi is headed to Delhi to show solidarity with the students.

“We strongly condemn brutality unleashed against students/teachers in JNU. No words enough to describe such heinous acts. It is shame on our democracy,” Banerjee tweeted.

CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury blamed the ABVP for the JNU violence and alleged that the attacks were "planned" by those in power.

"Reports coming from JNU point to a collusion between the administration and goons of ABVP to inflict violence on students and teachers. It is a planned attack by those in power, which is afraid of the resistance provided by JNU to its Hindutva agenda," Yechury tweeted.