By One of India’s most reputed universities plunged into violence and chaos late last night (Jan. 5).
Violence broke out inside New Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) after a mob of masked men and women, armed with sticks and rods, attacked students and teachers. The administration subsequently called in the police, which later in the evening conducted a flag march.
At least 23 were injured, including JNU Students’ Union (JNUSU) president Aishe Ghosh and faculty member Sucharita Sen. The victims have been admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences and Safdarjung Hospital.
JNUSU has blamed the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), for the violence. The RSS is the umbrella organisation to which India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) belongs.
JNUSU@JNUSUofficialJNUSU President has been brutually attacked by ABVP Gundas. #SOSJNU
Sucharita Sen, faculty of CSRD, admitted in AIIMS with head injury. #SOSJNU #EmergencyinJNU
However, ABVP has denied the allegations.
Punit Agarwal
✔@Punitspeaks
Today January 5th Sunday evening, left goons attacked ABVP & SANGH karyakartas with rods and sticks causing injury to many. Situation is tense and we must hold them accountable by atleast letting the whole world know about it.
#LeftAttacksJNU
While the reason for the violence remained unclear, the JNU administration, in a press statement yesterday, claimed the violence began when a group of students “opposing the registration process entered the premises and damaged property.” The statement also mentioned “masked miscreants,” but did not say much about their possible identity. Interestingly, the JNU administration retracted an earlier, simpler statement on the issue to come out with this more detailed one.
Under the cover of dark
The whole turn of events remained murky hours after it took place. Particularly since the police were allegedly in cahoots with the rampaging mob. Videos posted on Twitter and Facebook showed them either doing nothing while the violence was going on or escorting the alleged goons out of the campus.
Jayati Ghosh@Jayati1609lice were not”helpless”, they were complicit. They stood and watched the violence, prevented bleeding victims in ambulances from leaving the gate, and after 3 hours of mayhem, escorted the goons safely out of campus. We expect at least you to tell the truth! https://twitter.com/TheDeshBhakt/status/1213907726343929861 …Akash Banerjee
✔@TheDeshBhakt
These are the undisputed facts-
– there was a attack on JNU students by masked terrorists
– one of the best universities in India was under attack for hours
– police was there but was helpless to stop the attack
– terrorists left unchallenged
Home Minister has to explain failure.
Ashok Swain
✔@ashoswai
Delhi Police is escorting Modi’s armed goons from #JNU campus respectfully!
They reportedly discouraged people from video-recording the developments.
Karnika
✔@KarnikaKohli
This is from sometime ago. @_YogendraYadav being manhandled by right wing supporters. Delhi police stood on the side. #JNUViolence #JNUProtests
Karnika
✔@KarnikaKohli
Abvp guys attacking anyone recording videos. Cops outside JNU main hate advised us to not make any videos. #JNUProtests #jnu #JNUViolence
JNU has been at loggerheads with the ruling dispensation since at least 2016, and this is the third time that things have come to a showdown. Only a few weeks ago, the students had launched a massive protest against the government for raising tuition and hostel fees abruptly.
A leftist bastion for decades, JNU is perceived as a fountainhead of anti-establishment sentiments, particularly against the Hindu nationalist regime of prime minister Narendra Modi.
Even amidst yesterday’s chaos, crude slogans like “Goli maaro saalon ko…” (shoot them) were raised openly against the students and teachers of JNU by the mob which called them “deshdrohi” (anti-national). “Anti-national” has been a staple slur used by Hindu nationalists against JNU for some time now.
After the injured were shifted to AIIMS, a mob gathered around the trauma centre there, raising slogans.
Medical Macaroni@dawaleloAishi is JNUSU president who got a two inch deep wound on the head, Nikhil Mathew is another student who was hit with a hammer on the arm and has broken his arm, received fractures. Some students were hit on the legs. Nature of injuries are head injuries and limb fractures.
Medical Macaroni@dawaleloAbsolute chaos outside #AIIMSTraumaCentre the hospital has been surrounded by goons. They are disrupting peace and heckling security that is guarding the gates where #JnuViolence patients are being treated.
Media persons covering the incidents also came under attack.
snehanshu shekhar@snehanshus@aajtak journalist @ashu3page was attacked outside JNU gate. Really shameful
Journalist Rohan Venkat of Scroll.in, too, was subjected to violence.
Rohan Venkat
✔@RohanV
At JNU main gate. Lights are off. Lots of cops on riot gear. A right wing gathering yelling slogans.
Rohan Venkat
✔@RohanV
Tried to take video of what was happening a little away from the gate, where more right wingers have gathered.
Got surrounded by folks calling me a naxalwadi, demanded my phone because I had my phone up and started shoving around. One knock to the head.
Other reporters had similar experiences.
amrita madhukalya
✔@visually_kei
Just going to make a thread of how journalists from all entities — web, print, TV — faced intimation today at JNU
Here’s @SidRavii of @the_hindu being heckled https://twitter.com/SidRavii/status/1213864341704863744?s=19 …
Sidharth Ravi@SidRaviiA group of people including masked men in support of ABVP gathered around me and told me to leave the area after being identified as a journalist from The Hindu. Fled to avoid trouble.
Within a short while after the violence at JNU, social media was abuzz with screenshots of WhatsApp chats where purported rightwing groups were seen calling out to each other to strike the JNU students and teachers. These messages were passed around as evidence that the whole episode was well-planned.
Saikat Datta (saikatd@mstdn.social)
✔@saikatd
Screenshot of a WhatsApp message group being shared in JNU students’ group reveals clear planning to target the University.
(Numbers edited out to protect privacy)
Hours after the attack, the political leaders and media persons who visited the campus to take the stock of the situation were also shoved around, beaten, and manhandled by alleged right-wing goons.
National president of Swaraj India party, Yogendra Yadav, was among those heckled. The politician fell down amid the chaos outside the JNU main gate.
Pinjra Tod@PinjraTodJNU Update after yesterday’s ABVP violence. Today, ABVP people are entering hostels and thrashing and threatening people. Guys heavy police near Admin block – one bus, two cars, two ambulances.
Pinjra Tod@PinjraTodYogendra Yadav being harassed at jnu main gate. We need HUGE mobilisation outside JNU main gate, where ABVP & alleged Bajrang Dal members are assaulting people. Students, staff and faculty are still trapped inside the University. #SOSJNU
Ayperi@AyperiLoveThis is New Delhi- Capital of India.
Masked goons roaming freely with sticks and Police did NOTHING to stop them.
This attack against JNU students looks pre-planned. #وزیراعظم_سےمطالبہ_ہے
In solidarity with JNU
Various political leaders, including Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, took to social media to condemn the violence. Foreign Minister S Jaishankar and finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, both JNU alumni, tweeted their strong disapproval.
Dr. S. Jaishankar
✔@DrSJaishankar
Have seen pictures of what is happening in #JNU. Condemn the violence unequivocally. This is completely against the tradition and culture of the university.
Nirmala Sitharaman
✔@nsitharaman
Horrifying images from JNU — the place I know & remember was one for fierce debates & opinions but never violence. I unequivocally condemn the events of today. This govt, regardless of what has been said the past few weeks, wants universities to be safe spaces for all students.
Within hours, students and members of the general public were organising protests across the country against the JNU violence.
Hundreds gathered at the Gateway of India in Mumbai last night, raising slogans and demanding stringent action against the assailants.
Sharmeen Hakim@SharmeenMIRRORMumbai students respond to attack on #JNU students in Delhi, sing #FaizAhmedFaiz #HumDekhenge
Srivatsa
✔@srivatsayb
National Law School University of India (NLSUI), India’s top law college is holding a candle light protest right now at their campus in Bengaluru.
Entire student community will rise in support against this mob violence of ABVP with support from BJP govt.#StudentPower #BanABVP
Srivatsa
✔@srivatsayb
Students of Kolkata’s Jadavpur university begin their protest in solidarity with JNU
Students and well minded citizens are out on the streets, but not a word from our Fuhrer and Goebbels
Prasanta Patnaik