The Jawaharlal Nehru University on Monday banned any form of procession, demonstration and rallies on campus until further notice after clashes broke out between the Left Unity and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad on Sunday night.
The Left Unity is a coalition of Left-leaning students’ groups that won the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union elections against the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh-affiliated ABVP.
On Monday, newly-elected students’ union President N Sai Balaji, accompanied by teachers, filed two complaints at the Vasant Kunj police station. The office bearers had mobilised crowds to march to the police station. Students from both sides had gathered at the police station as well.
The ABVP, however, claimed their students were attacked. ABVP’s national media convenor Monika Chaudhary claimed three JNU students affiliated with them were attacked around 4.30 am by “criminals hiding as champions of Communist ideology”.
In a statement, the Jawaharlal Nehru Teachers’ Association expressed concern about students being targeted by mobs on campus and accused the administration of being a mute spectator. “The JNU administration appears to be complicit in this process and failing in its duty to defend its own university and its democratic culture,” the teachers’ body said.
More security personnel should be deployed at all hostels and other locations to ensure everyone is protected from threats to their safety, the teachers’ association said. It said strict action should be taken against those guilty of violence and intimidation, and urged the Delhi Police to ensure security.
However, the administration said that the dean of students, the chief proctor and the chief security officer visited various hostels in the morning to take stock of the situation. Wardens and provosts held a meeting to implement necessary measures to ensure peace and security in the campus.
In a statement, the administration also condemned the acts of violence and warned against inviting outside elements to participate in disruptive activities. The administration has taken adequate security measures to ensure the safety of everyone on campus, it said.
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