Dozens of masked men armed with sticks and stones stormed Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on Sunday evening and went about attacking teachers, students and vandalizing hostels, leaving many wounded. After the attack, Delhi Police lawyer Rahul Mehra tweeted that the incident makes him ‘hang my head in shame’ and also questioned the cops for their absence at JNU Campus.
Lawyer Rahul Mehra tweeted saying: "I, as Standing Counsel @DelhiPolice, hang my head in shame after witnessing video clips of goons merrily entering JNU campus, creating mayhem &grievously injuring innocent students, damaging public property and then exiting the campus in capital city. Where is our force @CPDelhi?"
Mehra further said that in case there is still any doubt, one needs to find out as to who exactly has been the aggressor and who the victim was. "In case there is still any doubt &one needs to find out as to who exactly has been the aggressor &who the victim at #JNU then all that needs to done is to take stock of who really sustained injuries? Those who belong to ABVP or the Left backed student group?" Rahul Mehra tweeted.
At least 28 people, including JNU Students' Union president Aishe Ghosh, were injured as chaos reigned on the campus for nearly two hours. Eyewitnesses alleged the attackers entered the premises when a meeting was being held by JNU Teachers' Association on the issue of violence on campus and assaulted students and professors. They also barged into three hostels. Video footage aired by some TV channels showed a group of men, who were brandishing hockey sticks and rods, moving around a building.
The Left-controlled JNUSU and the RSS-backed ABVP blamed each other for the incident. The violence at the university, whose students have been actively supporting the stir against the amended Citizenship Act, triggered a political furore with opposition parties accusing "those in power" of trying to scuttle the voice of students, while protests broke out at many places including near Delhi Police headquarters and at the Aligarh Muslim University against the incident.
The JNU administration said late in the night that students opposing the semester registration process "moved aggressively" in a bid to stop those supporting the process, triggering a clash, while "masked miscreants" carrying sticks and rods went on a rampage in hostel rooms.
(Inputs from Agencies)
