Police outside JNU; 700 officers were called in. (Express Photo: Abhinav Saha)
As JNU students, including Students’ Union president Aishe Ghosh, were attacked by masked men Sunday, the administration, including the Vice-Chancellor, sought to suggest the students protesting against hostel fee hike were responsible for violence on campus.
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V-C M Jagadesh Kumar tweeted: “JNU administration feels great pain and anguish for students who have sustained injuries in the violence… The administration strongly condemns any form of violence on campus.”
He attached a statement by Registrar Pramod Kumar: “Around 4.30 pm, a group of students, who are against the registration process, moved aggressively from the front of the admin block and reached hostels. The administration immediately contacted police to come quickly and maintain law and order. However, by the time police came, students who are for the registration were beaten up by a group of agitating students… It is unfortunate that a group of students with their violent means of protests are preventing thousands of non-agitating students from pursuing their academic activities.”
V-C Kumar’s predecessor, S K Sopory, meanwhile, expressed shock and sadness at reports from the campus. “What is happening is shocking… There has been no violence inside the campus for 50 years. There have been dharnas and protests, but never this. The university’s security should have taken immediate action against those indulging in violence. Police need to intervene and catch those who carried out the attack,” said Sopory, who headed JNU between 2011 and 2016.
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The Indian Express made over 10 calls each to the Registrar and the Chief Security Officer of JNU to seek comment on the developments. Multiple calls were also made to the V-C and Rector, apart from text messages, but none elicited a response.
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