Violence at JNU: ‘Masked mob’ attacks students, teachers; Amit Shah speaks to Delhi police

New Delhi, Jan 05: Jawaharlal Nehru University Student Union President was attacked on campus after some "masked" persons entered the JNU's Sabarmati and thrashed the students with sticks and rods on Sunday.

At least 18 people, including JNU Students' Union president Aishe Ghosh, were injured and admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) as chaos reigned on the campus for nearly two hours.

Video footage aired by some TV channels showed a group of men, who were brandishing hockey sticks, moving around a building.

Delhi police conduct flag march

Delhi Police said it conducted a flag march and the situation was brought under control after it got a written request from the JNU administration. The Left-controlled JNUSU and the ABVP blamed each other for the violence.

"I have been brutally attacked by goons wearing masks. I have been bleeding. I was brutally beaten up", said Aishe Ghosh, the president of the students' union.

#WATCH Delhi: Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union president & students attacked by people wearing masks on campus. 'What is this? Who are you? Step back, Who are you trying to threaten?... ABVP go back,' can be heard in video. (note: abusive language) pic.twitter.com/gYqBOmA37c

— ANI (@ANI) January 5, 2020

'What is this? Who are you? Step back, Who are you trying to threaten?... ABVP go back,' can be heard in the video posted by ANI.

JNUSU attacks ABVP for violence

The students' union claimed that its president Aishe Ghosh and many other students were injured in stone-pelting by ABVP members.

"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", read a tweet from the students' union's official handle.

ABVP blames left-affiliated outfits

But 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.

JNU administration on violence

The incident took place during a public meeting organised by the JNU Teachers' Association.

"We had organised a peace meet at the tea point at 5 pm. As soon as it got over, we saw that a large number of people entered the campus and they started arbitrarily attacking teachers and students," R Mahalaxmi, a professor of History department, said.

The JNU administration said "masked miscreants armed with sticks were roaming around, damaging property and attacking people" and that police had been called in to maintain law and order.

Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal condemns violence

Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal condemned Sunday's violence and said the situation was being "closely monitored".

"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," he tweeted.

Amit Shah speaks to Delhi police

Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik about the situation at JNU and ordered an inquiry by a senior police officer into the violence that broke out on Sunday night, officials said.

The Home Minister's office tweeted, "Union Home minister has spoken to Delhi police commissioner over JNU violence and instructed him to take necessary action."

"The honourable minister has also ordered an inquiry to be carried out by a joint CP-level officer and asked for a report as soon as possible," it said.

Priyanka meets injured JNU students, condemns violence

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra met injured JNU students at AIIMS on Sunday and alleged that it was "deeply sickening" about the government that allowed violence inflicted on students.

She claimed that the wounded students at AIIMS told her that goons entered the campus and attacked them with sticks and other weapons, with many students having broken limbs and head injuries.

HRD ministry seeks report

The Home and HRD ministries sought reports from Delhi Police and JNU administration, respectively.

"The violence in #JNU is extremely worrying and unfortunate. I condemn the violence within the campus. I appeal to all students to maintain the dignity of the University and peace on campus," Union Minister of Human Resource Development, Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank said.

"We have sought an immediate report from the JNU registrar about the situation on campus. We have spoken to the vice chancellor and Delhi police officials to ensure that peace is maintained on the campus," HRD ministry officials told news agency PTI.

Students protest outside old Delhi Police headquarters after JNU violence

Hundreds of students from different universities in the national capital staged a protest outside the old Delhi Police headquarters at ITO after violence broke out at the Jawaharlal Nehru University.

Students from the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) were joined by those from Delhi University and Jamia Millia Islamia. The protesters raised slogans and demanded that police leave the JNU campus.

Protests held in AMU after JNU violence

Protests were held at the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) in Uttar Pradesh late on Sunday night against the violence at the JNU campus in Delhi.

In a statement, the AMU Teachers' Association (AMUTA) condemned the violence. AMUTA secretary Najmul Islam urged the Chief Justice of India to take suo motu cognizance of the "unprecedented situation arising from Sunday's assault on JNU students and teachers".

The university was earlier embroiled in a major row over alleged anti-national slogans being raised by some students in February 2016.

with PTI inputs