A group of masked criminals on Sunday entered the campus of Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University to cause large-scale violence by attacking students and teachers. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal took to Twitter to say that the development had left him shocked.
Kejriwal wrote, “I am so shocked to know abt the violence at JNU. Students attacked brutally. Police shud immediately stop violence and restore peace. How will the country progress if our students will not be safe inside univ campus?”
I am so shocked to know abt the violence at JNU. Students attacked brutally. Police shud immediately stop violence and restore peace. How will the country progress if our students will not be safe inside univ campus?
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) January 5, 2020
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who visited the injured students at the AIIMS trauma centre, tweeted, “Wounded students at AIIMS trauma centre told me that goons entered the campus and attacked them with sticks and other weapons. Many had broken limbs and injuries on their heads. One student said the police kicked him several times on his head.”
Her subsequent tweet read, “There is something deeply sickening about a government that allows and encourages such violence to be inflicted on their own children.”
There is something deeply sickening about a government that allows and encourages such violence to be inflicted on their own children.
— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) January 5, 2020
Some students claimed that the men who attacked students and teachers belonged to the ABVP. Hashtag ‘ABVP’ and #SOSJNU have become national trends on Twitter.
JNU students are being beaten up badly by ABVP. Former DUSU President Satinder Awana from ABVP is beating students with rods in JNU campus. Students are injured, lying locked in campus while Delhi Police actively support ABVP. Reach Police Headquarters at ITO at 9pm. Immediately.
— Kawalpreet Kaur (@kawalpreetdu) January 5, 2020
JNUSU president Aishe Ghosh attacked by alleged ABVP Goons.. This attack is ONGOING @DelhiPolice Vasant Kunj thana is less than 1km away!!!!!!!! Why are you letting this happen??? pic.twitter.com/4z5QqA6kya
— Swara Bhasker (@ReallySwara) January 5, 2020
This is the head of center for the study of regional development Sucharita Send, being admitted to AIIMS with a head Injury! Let that sink in. #JNUHorror pic.twitter.com/UOX6DLTOzz
— Anisha Dutta (@A2D2_) January 5, 2020
According to a professor, around 50-odd goons entered the campus around 6.30 pm forcing the terrified students to seek help. The administration has reportedly turned off the street lights around the JNU campus.
The Delhi government said that seven ambulances had been sent to Jawaharlal Nehru University with 10 ambulances on standby.
A statement by JNUSU said, “The JNUSU President was singled out and hit on her head by men who entered the university campus with the blessing of the guards, the administration and the Police. We need help. JNU is under attack. Indian Students are under attack.”
The JNUSU President was singled out and hit on her head by men who entered the university campus with the blessing of the guards, the administration and the Police. We need help. JNU is under attack. Indian Students are under attack. #SOSJNU #EmergencyinJNU https://t.co/HV6oesKMMn
— JNUSU (@JNUSUofficial) January 5, 2020
Another tweet by the JNUSU read, “ABVPJNU, you have attacked your own university, your professors and your classmates. By encouraging ABVP terrorists to enter campus, by giving them information to help them single out Union Representatives, you have enabled terrorists like your ideological predecessors.”
The RSS-affiliated student body, ABVP, tweeted, “@ABVPVoice members have been brutally attacked by students affiliated to leftist student organizations SFI, AISA and DSF. Around 25 students have been seriously injured in this attack and there is no information as to the whereabouts of 11 students.”
The Delhi Police have said that a flag march was being conducted inside the JNU campus and the situation was under control.