JNU violence Live News Updates: Police outside JNU campus after students and teachers were injured in the violence. (Express Photo)
JNU violence highlights: As many as 26 people were injured after a group of masked men wielding sticks, rods and sledgehammers terrorised Jawaharlal Nehru University for close to three hours on Sunday evening, while entering hostels and attacking students and teachers. Eyewitnesses and many of those injured said the men, who as per some estimates numbered around 100, were mostly outsiders and belonged to the ABVP — a charge the RSS student outfit denied.
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Eyewitnesses also accused police of failing to stop the mob from entering the campus or ending the violence sooner, despite calls from JNU as well as frantic students and teachers. Among those injured were 22 students, including JNU Students’ Union (JNUSU) president Aishe Ghosh, two teachers and two guards, who have been admitted to AIIMS and Safdarjung Hospital.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah ordered the Delhi Police to hold an inquiry, as the HRD Ministry condemned the incident, blaming outsiders for it, and said “anarchy will not be tolerated”. Several Union ministers and JNU alumni, such as Nirmala Sitharaman and S Jaishankar, criticised the violence.
JNU violence: 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. "
Protests against the attack on JNU students continue outside Gateway of India in Mumbai on Monday. (Express photo/Nirmal Harindran)
JNU Professor Shukla Sawant said she was hit on the head and back. “They just starting pelting huge stones at us and beating everyone,” she said. Professor Atul Sood said, “Police were at the JNU gate while all this was happening and nobody stopped this mob. For the next two hours they went from hostel to hostel.” A Masters student told The Indian Express over the phone around 9.45 pm: “When the mob began attacking, many of the women ran towards the women’s wing of Sabarmati Hostel. Around seven of us have been locked inside a room for three hours now. There are people with head injuries here.”
According to eyewitnesses, the crowd of masked men first gathered at Periyar Hostel, a couple of hours before the attacks started. Soori Krishan, an SFI activist, was among the first to get hit. “A large crowd with covered faces abused us in Hindi. When I started retorting, they hit me with a metal rod on my head. I’ve received two stitches and my hands are injured too,” said the MA student who was taken to AIIMS. The teachers said on seeing the group “of around 100 men with their faces covered, sticks and stones in hands” marching towards them, they approached them in a bid to placate them, but were attacked instead. One teacher said “the stones were big enough to crack a skull”.
The chaos at JNU started around 6:30 pm on Sunday when a ‘peace march’ called by the JNU Teachers’ Association on campus was wrapping up. Teachers had gathered to call for calm a day after the campus had seen a scuffle between activists of the ABVP and Left outfits. The campus has been seeing protests against hostel fee hike for around three months. Police finally arrived outside the campus only around 7.30 pm, and said it held flag marches inside at regular intervals. By Sunday night, over 700 policemen were present on the campus.
Students of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) on Sunday late night took out a peaceful candlelight march inside the varsity premises in solidarity with students of JNU who were attacked by a mob of masked men. The march concluded at Bab-e-Syed gate of the campus.
Former AMU Students’ Union vice-president Hamza Sufyan said the students of AMU demand action against “those who assaulted unarmed students of JNU”.
Delhi Police PRO M S Randhawa held a meeting with a delegation of students and teachers after violence broke out at the Jawaharlal Nehru University here, officials said on Monday.
The delegation comprising students and teachers from JNU, Jamia and Delhi University submitted an application to the Delhi Police PRO with four demands, including urgent medical assistance to injured students and arrest of the accused behind the violence. (PTI)
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. Click here to read more.
Messages urging people to “thrash the anti-nationals” in JNU allegedly did rounds of some WhatsApp groups in the hours leading up to the violence on campus Sunday. The Indian Express managed to contact six people from whose mobile numbers the messages threatening violence were made in the groups.
Out of the six, three said someone else may have “misused” their number to post the messages, one said his “friend posted the message”, two others said they entered the groups to “provide intel”. Click here to read more.
3:45 PM First news of masked men collecting at Periyar Hostel. SFI activist beaten up.
4 PM JNUTA’s peace march begins at Sabarmati T-point. Teachers and students in attendance.
5:30 PM News begins to trickle in of masked persons roaming around on campus. First PCR call by student at 5.57 pm
6:15 PM Amit Thorat, a teacher, heads to Periyar hostel to check. Rushes back after he is beaten up by the masked men
6:30 PM Mob moves towards the JNUTA site. Teachers attempt to engage in dialogue but are met with stones and lathis. Several injured.
7:30 PM JNUSU head Aishe Ghosh attacked while telling students not to panic.
Till 9 PM Mob runs riot inside 7 hostels.
Delhi Police conducts flag march inside JNU campus after the violence in Jawaharlal Nehru University yesterday.
Demanding the arrest of the masked men who entered JNU and beat up students and teachers, hundreds of protesters from Jamia Millia Islamia, Delhi University and other campuses gathered at the old Delhi Police headquarters in ITO Sunday night. Click here to read more.
Students continue to protest outside JNU campus against the violence in Jawaharlal Nehru University earlier today.
Bollywood actors Swara Bhasker, Shabana Azmi, Mohd Zeeshan Ayyub and Taapsee Pannu, and filmmakers Aparna Sen and Hansal Mehta on Sunday condemned the violence at the Jawaharlal Nehru University and urged Delhi Police to intervene.
Violence broke out at JNU on Sunday night after masked men armed with sticks attacked students and teachers and damaged property on the campus, prompting the administration to call in the police. (PTI)
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Yogendra Yadav was earlier manhandled outside JNU campus, where violence broke out on Sunday evening.
Demanding that the police arrest the men who attacked JNU students, hundreds of students and some teachers from Jamia, DU and others gathered to protest and express solidarity with the injured in front of the Delhi Police headquarters at ITO.
AIMIM chief in a tweet said: "In solidarity with the brave students of JNU. This cruel attack is meant to ‘punish’ JNU students because they dared to stand up. It’s so bad that even Union Ministers are tweeting helplessly. Modi Sarkar must answer why cops are siding with goons".
Delhi Police Sunday said that peace has has been restored in JNU after masked men armed with sticks attacked students and teachers, and damaged property on the campus, prompting the administration to call in police that conducted a flag march, news agency PTI reported.
"We were informed that there was a clash between two groups of students. The JNU administration sought police assistance from us in writing," Joint Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Anand Mohan said.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southwest) said private and public vehicles were damaged. "After we received written request from the JNU administration, we entered the campus and restored peace. Legal action will be taken," he was quoted as saying by the news agency.
"I, as Standing Counsel Delhi Police, hang my head in shame after witnessing video clips of goons merrily entering JNU campus, creating mayhem and grievously injuring innocent students, damaging public property and then exiting the campus in the capital city," Rahul Mehra tweets.
Students from multiple colleges and institutions of Mumbai are gathering at Gateway of India from 12 midnight (tonight) to protest against the JNU violence and demanding action against the goons, failing which the students are demanding immediate resignation of Home Minister Amit Shah.
It doesn't matter what your politics are. It doesn't matter what your ideology is. It doesn't matter what your faith is. If you're an Indian, you cannot tolerate armed, lawless goons. Those who invaded JNU tonight must be traced & hunted down swiftly & given no quarter..." Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra said.
NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant condemned JNU violence.
Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray said the "goons" who attacked JNU students must face action. "They must be brought to time-bound and swift justice."
'The JNU administration feels great pain and anguish for the students who have sustained injuries in this violence. JNU is always known for peaceful and democratic protests. JNU administration will not tolerate any form of violence on the campus. A police complaint is bein filed to bring the culprits to book. The violators of University rules who are trying to disrupt the peaceful academic atmosphere of the campus will not be spared,' the JNU statement said.
BJP issues statement: "We strongly condemn the violence on JNU campus. This is a desperate attempt by forces of anarchy, who are determined to use students as cannon fodder, create unrest to shore up their shrinking political footprint. Universities should remain places of learning and education."
In solidarity with JNU students, about 200 AMU students took out a protest march till the main gate of the campus, led by former student's union president Faizul Hassan. Slogans like "JNU tum sangharsh karo, hum tumhaare saath hai" and "chhatra ekta zindabad" were raised in the peaceful protest. There was no violence during the march as claimed on social media.
Swaraj India leader Yogendra Yadav alleged that a Sankrit Professor (Professor Mishra) was part of a mob that attacked him in the presence of police and media. "I was attacked by a mob (that included a JNU Professor Mishra, Dept of Sanskrit) in the presence of police and media. Minor injury. I am safe. Staying put outside the north gate of JNU while goon attack continues inside the campus under police protection," he tweeted.
AMU students took out a candlelight march in solidarity with JNU students. No violence has been reported so far. The AMU students have called for a protest against the JNU violence tomorrow.
People have gathered at the Delhi Police headquarters to protest violence on JNU campus.
Delhi Traffic Police has notified that traffic movement on Vikas Marg has been closed due to demonstration. The public has been requested to avoid the route.
The JNU VC expressed sympathy with the students who have sustained injuries during the attack by masked men and women inside university premises. "The JNU administration feels great pain and anguish for the students who have sustained injuries in the violence that took place in JNU campus. The JNU administration strongly condemns any form of violence in the campus," Vice-Chancellor Jagadesh Kumar tweeted.
Umar Khalid while talking to Indian Express said, "What is happened in JNU is a very organised attack. We saw bits of attacks yesterday also and then today they have taken it all up. They want to break the movement which is going on against the fee hike. The BPJ, Bajrang Dal, ABVP and the Delhi Police all have colluded to organise this attack to break the students' movement and create an environment of terror. One group of students has now gone outside Delhi Police headquarters to protest against what has happened. There is a group near the gate not allowing anymore Bajrang Dal member to enter. There are people needed in there from ambulances to police. There are about 18 students who are injured."
People gather at Delhi Police headquarters to protest violence on JNU campus, reported PTI. Protests have also broken out at Aligarh Muslim University condemning the attack on JNU students.
Priyanka Gandhi, who visited AIIMS trauma centre to meet the injured students, said, "There is something deeply sickening about a government that allows and encourages such violence to be inflicted on their own children."
Expressing solidarity with the students of JNU who were injured in the violence, IIT Bombay in a statement said such act of terror has no place in any civilised world.
Their statement is as follows:
"We, IIT Bombay for Justice would like to extend full support and solidarity with faculty and students of JNU who have been subjected to unprecedented violence and terror in the evening of 5th January 2020 at the hands of hooded-armed mobs. The attack on innocent students and the teachers engaged in the movement against fee hike and CAA and NRC is unprecedented in history and horrifying in its barbarity. Such act of terror has no place in any civilized world least of all in the sphere of learning. We at IIT Bombay feel this terror more keenly as we have also been part of similar movement against fee hikes in IITs and unconstitutional and communal CAA and NRC. The thought that we could very easily have been in their place haunts our minds. We condemn this dastardly act on the most severe terms possible.
Recently, we have seen university campuses been turned into sites for violence. In JNU the attacking ABVP members were totally protected by Delhi police, who stated that they cannot enter inside the campus without 'permission'. However, the same police did not wait for permission when they assaulted students inside Jamia Milia Islamia campus. The police have burnt down students’ hostels in Aligarh Muslim University, following their protest against CAA and NRC. University campuses have turned into war zones.
In this situation, we strongly condemn these acts of hooliganism inside university campuses. We should never forget the purpose of our education which is not to spread hatred or violence but to propagate acts of love and sympathy that would let us strive for humanity.
We condemn all acts of violence inside university campus.
We stand with JNU, JMI and AMU."
NCP leader Supriya Sule demands detailed inquiry into JNU violence.
Federation of Central Universities Teachers Associations (FEDCUTA) in a statement condemned the attack on JNU students and teachers.
Their statement:
"The FEDCUTA unequivocally condemns the violence unleashed on the students and teachers of JNU by armed goons, orchestrated by the JNU VC and his henchmen. The violence that has gone on now for two days and continued unabated for several hours today is a brazen attempt by the administration to terrorise the students and teachers who have bravely put up an unwavering fight to defend the University.
Shockingly, the armed goons, with lathis and stones, were allowed to enter the campus and to freely run amok on campus, identifying and attacking students and teachers, pelting stones on teachers' houses, vandalising cars and property and entering women's hostels even as the campus security has silently stood by. Several teachers and students including the JNUSU President have been seriously injured.
The FEDCUTA also condemns the complete complicity of the police in refusing to intervene or providing the minimum security and protection to the JNU community in the face of this dastardly attack. This also reveals the intent of this Government which has been totally complicit in the violence against teachers and students in campus after campus in different parts of the country.
The FEDCUTA demands an immediate stop to the violence and protection for the students and teachers. The FEDCUTA also demands the immediate removal of the JNU VC for failing in his moral responsibility to ensure the safety of all students and teachers.
The FEDCUTA stands in solidarity with the teachers and students of JNU."
Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to Delhi Police Commissioner over JNU violence and instructed him to take necessary action. Shah also ordered an inquiry to be carried out by a Joint CP level officer and asked for a report to be submitted as soon as possible.
IIT Bombay students expressed solidarity with JNU students after they were attacked by masked men.
Another injured from JNU has been brought to AIIMS trauma centre
Union Minister of Human Resource Development Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank: "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."
Congress and ABVP leaders clashed in AIIMS, where the injured JNU students have been admitted.
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said, “This is unbelievable. These are tactics from Germany in the 1930s, not India in 2020. I implore the authorities to stop this. They are destroying Indian democracy as well as what remains of our nation’s image in the democratic world.” READ MORE
Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi arrives at AIIMS trauma centre to meet the injured JNU students
Another JNU student said, "The police were a mute witness. They didn't raise a ginger to help us. They could have done something,"
HRD Ministry in a statement condemned the violence in JNU.
A JNU student on conditions of anonymity said, "The left parties had taken out a peaceful rally. When it reached the Periyar hostel, there was stone pelting from inside. They also retaliated. The attackers then regrouped outside Sabarmati hostel and started advancing towards other hostels and attacked. Meanwhile, some masked men from outside entered the campus. It must be during that time only when JNUSU president was attacked."
JNUSU president Aishe Gosh has suffered injuries, and CT scan is underway, said a doctor.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who is also a JNU alumnus, said regardless of what has been said the past few weeks, the central government wants universities to be safe spaces for all students.
After masked men and women vandalised JNU campus and attacked students and teachers of the varsity, Union Home Minister Amit Shah talked to the Delhi Police.
The Delhi Police entered the JNU campus on the request of the university administration to restore law and order in the campus, PTI quoted officials as saying. Lt Governor Anil Baijal also directed Delhi Police to take all possible steps to maintain law and order. A flag march is being held inside JNU campus, the police said while maintaining that the situation is under control. Read top developments on JNU violence here.
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said, “This is unbelievable. These are tactics from Germany in the 1930s, not India in 2020. I implore the authorities to stop this. They are destroying Indian democracy as well as what remains of our nation’s image in the democratic world.”
Yogendra Yadav claimed that he was stopped from entering JNU campus.
External Affairs Minister of India S Jaishankar said he condemns the violence in JNU unequivocally. "Have seen pictures of what is happening in #JNU. Condemn the violence unequivocally. This is completely against the tradition and culture of the university."
JNU Registrar said, "This is an urgent message for the entire JNU community that there is a law and order situation in the JNU Campus. Masked miscreants armed with sticks are roaming around, damaging property and attacking people. The JNU administration has called the police to maintain order. This is the moment to remain calm and be on the alert. In view of the largeness of the campus, number 100 can also be dialled. Efforts are already being made to tackle the miscreants.'
CPM leader Brinda Karat blamed the government for the attacks. “This is a conspiracy to break JNU’s struggle. Who else, other than the government would want the protests to stop. The government is behind this, it is using its agents inside JNU to carry out attacks inside the premises,” she said.
As a group of masked men and women armed with sticks and bricks attacked teachers and students inside the premises of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Sunday, here's how political leaders reacted. Read here...
DMK MK Stalin: "Shocked to see visuals of masked miscreants attacking JNU students inside the campus. DMK condemns rising incidents of violence against students within universities in the aftermath of #CAA2019. All those who are responsible for these incidents must brought to book immediately."
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee: "We strongly condemn brutality unleashed agst students/teachers in JNU. No words enough to describe such heinous acts. A shame on our democracy. Trinamool delegation led by Dinesh Trivedi (SajdaAhmed, ManasBhunia, VivekGupta) headed to DEL to show solidarity with #ShaheenBagh #JNU"