The Delhi Police stopped a group of JNU students from marching to Rashtrapati Bhavan, the president’s official residence, on Thursday evening, the Hindustan Times reported. The police baton charged many students and detained most of them while packing them into buses.
They also baton-charged some of the protestors. With the help of loudspeakers, police officers tried to ask the demonstrators to maintain peace. The protestors were led by JNU Students’ Union President Aishe Ghosh, NDTV reported.
The abortive march to Rashtrapati Bhavan came after representatives of the JNU Students’ Union and the JNU Teachers’ Association met officials of the Ministry of Human Resource Development and demanded the removal of Vice Chancellor Jagadesh Kumar.
The university has formed a five-member committee to investigate the January 5 violence and recommend measures to ensure the safety of students, Kumar told PTI on Thursday. The panel will also investigate lapses in security, if any, Kumar added. On Tuesday, the vice chancellor had called the mob attack an “unfortunate” incident, and urged students to return to campus.
There was heavy police presence outside the main gate of the university too as protests continued, ANI reported.
Protest demanding removal of VC
Students and teachers of Jawaharlal Nehru University gathered at Mandi House in Delhi on Thursday afternoon to demand the removal of Vice Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar in the wake of violence on the campus earlier this week. The students’ union posted videos of sloganeering against the government and police.
Leaders of the Rashtriya Janata Dal, and the Left also joined the protest, The Indian Express reported. RJD spokesperson Manoj Jha. CPI(M) leaders Sitaram Yechury, Prakash Karat and Brinda Karat, Communist Party of India leader D Raja, and Loktantrik Janata Dal chief Sharad Yadav were present at the demonstration.
Former JNU Students’ Union President Kanhaiya Kumar was also present at the protest. He said that the fury over the visit of actor Deepika Padukone to the campus on Tuesday showed that supporters of the government were responsible for the January 5 mob attack.
Heavy security was deployed at Mandi House ahead of the march, which proceeded towards the Ministry of Human Resource Development.
The attack
A mob – allegedly comprising Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad members armed with sticks and hammers – attacked students and teachers of Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi on Sunday evening, injuring at least 34 people. The outfit is the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s student wing.
Later, a group of right-wing activists sloganeering outside the university’s main gate heckled, abused and threatened several journalists who were reporting on the violence. Several eye-witness accounts and videos indicated that in most places, police personnel present at JNU did almost nothing to stop the violence, and, in fact, allowed the attackers to exit the university without apprehending them.
Members of the ABVP have blamed the violence on “Naxals” and leftist students. However, Scroll.in traced Whatsapp messages planning the attack – as well as celebrating it – to the Hindutva organisation’s activists.
Here are some videos and photos from Mandi House:
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!