NEW DELHI: In its report to the Human Resources Development Ministry on Sunday’s violence in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), the university administration has denied that the attackers were outsiders and blamed students protesting against the fee hike for the incident.
Sources said a five-member team comprising senior JNU officials met HRD secretary Amit Khare on Monday and told him that the violence was a result of clashes between residents of two hostels — Periyar and Sabarmati.
They reportedly also told Khare that the students from the university had put on masks to cover their faces during the clashes to hide their identities.
“We have received the report and have asked the administration to keep us updated on all the developments as it is worrying that neither the security nor police could prevent the attacks,” said a ministry official.
In the two-page report, the university reiterated that around 4.30 pm, a group of students who are against the registration process in the university moved “aggressively” from the front of the administration block and reached the hostels.
“The administration immediately contacted the police to come quickly and maintain law and order. But by the time police came, students in favour of the registration process were beaten up by a group of agitating students,” the report to the HRD Ministry said.
Most of the 30 students who received maximum injuries were said to be from the Sabarmati hostel. Some professors sympathetic to the protesting students had also sustained serious injuries.
The JNU officials who attended the meeting included Pro-VC Chintamani Mahapatra, registrar Promod Kumar, rector Rana Pratap Singh and proctor Dhananjay Singh.
Delhi govt trying to save tukde-tukde gang: Shah
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday targeted the ruling Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi, as well as the Congress, for misleading people on CAA, ‘burning’ the national capital and leading to a riot-like situation. Taking a a dig at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Shah stated that he was protecting ‘anti-nationals’ from prosecution. “Some students raised anti-national slogans, said ‘Bharat tere tukde hazar’.
Shouldn’t they be put behind bars? But Kejriwal is not granting sanction to prosecute them. Who do you want to save, Kejriwal?” he asked. The remarks, referring to former JNUSU leaders Kanhaiya Kumar, Umar Khalid and others, came a day after masked goons perpetrated a brutal assault on students and faculty of JNU.