NEW DELHI: A day after mayhem broke out inside the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), students on the campus said that small scuffles between left-leaning and ABVP students had taken place earlier on January 3 and 4.
The scuffles reportedly started between the two groups when Left outfits convinced students not to register for the new semester.
Akash Sulochna, a student from the School of Social Sciences, said that the students had been protesting against the fee hike for the last two months. “Left students had been counselling students not to register to protest against the fee hike. There were several attempts by the administration to get the students to register but on January 5, the server went down. This is when ABVP students started getting violent and accused us of stopping the registration," Sulochna told this newspaper.
A group of about 50 were prepared with stones and rods on Sunday afternoon to attack those protesting against the fee hike, students at JNU claimed.
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Students who protested against the Delhi Police on Monday for not taking any action against the "goons" said they were members and supporters of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP).
Teachers had planned to conduct a peaceful protest at the Sabarmati T-Point on Sunday afternoon.
“Mobs with covered faces carrying bats and hockey sticks started coming towards the protest site. They attacked our teacher Sucharita Sen who suffered severe head injuries. Following this, the attackers got scattered,” said Mayur Kumar, a student from CSRD who was present at the site.
“After that, they caught hold of Aishi Ghosh, the president of the JNU Students Union (JNUSU), near the 24/7 Dhaba and hit her,” he added.
"They were gathering in parts of the campus with rods and sticks. We had blocked the entry to the School of Social Sciences and were protesting there. A group of ABVP people came and asked for access to the reading room. When we resisted, they barged into the school," said another student Mayank Misra.
Former JNUSU Vice President Sarika Chaudhary said the union's current president was attacked by the same group.
During the violence, about 25 people were injured, according to police.
Chaudhary said apart from these, over 100 were given first aid after they suffered minor injuries.
While Left students are alleging that the ABVP is behind the mob that entered the campus using the "gate near the swimming pool” and started vandalising and beating students, the ABVP has denied it. Both right-wing and left-leaning student groups are blaming each other while the JNU administration has appealed for calm.
JNUSU Vice President Saket Moon said that they had sensed the movement of “unknown people” outside the campus and sent a message to the police at 1 PM in the afternoon. “There was a small scuffle at Periyar hostel during the day when police came and left as things were under control... but we had sensed something so we messaged senior police officials. There was absolutely no action and they only came inside at 9 after the mob had done the damage and left,” Saket added.
Meanwhile, following the incident, many students are leaving the campus. “We will stay with our friends and relatives for two days and see if things settle down. If things are still not brought under control, we will return to our hometowns,” said an Assamese student from Koyna hostel.
Deputy Commissioner of Police, Southwest, Devender Arya said that a case had been registered against unidentified people under the Section pertaining to rioting in the Indian Penal Code and under the Defacement of Public Property Act.
The case is being investigated by the Crime Branch.