Political leaders across party lines condemned the violent attack on Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students and demanded action to apprehend the culprits.
Biju Janata Dal president and Chief Minister of Odisha, Naveen Patnaik said in a tweet, "shocked to know about the violent JNU attack. Violence has no space in democracy and such attacks on students must be condemned unequivocally. Appeal law enforcement agencies to take swift action to apprehend the culprits and wish the injured students a speedy recovery".
The violent attacks in JNU, which has led to over one dozen, including students and faculty members being injured has invoked strong condemnation from different political quarters.
Chief Minister of Kerala Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday condemned the attack and said the Sangh Parivar must end the diabolical plan to silence universities with bloodshed.
"The attack on students and faculty of JNU is an appalling display of intolerance running amok. The scale of the attack reveals the extent of planning. Sangh Parivar must end this diabolical plan to silence universities with bloodshed. Remember, those students are speaking for all," he tweeted.
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has described the violence at Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi as 'barbaric and atrocious' and sought strict action from the Delhi police against those who were involved in the incident.
"Situation in JNU is clearly out of hand. @DelhiPolice cannot remain silent spectators to this mayhem unleashed by a handful of goons in the premier university. This is barbaric, atrocious and needs to be tackled with iron hand," Singh tweeted.
Earlier on Sunday evening, more than 18 students, including JNUSU President Aishe Ghosh, were injured and taken to the AIIMS Trauma Centre after a masked mob entered the JNU and attacked them and professors with sticks and rods.
Samajwadi Party supremo Akhilesh Yadav and BSP chief Mayawati condemned the violence inside JNU.
Hitting out at the Centre, Yadav said that masked men attacking teachers and students in JNU show how "low" the government will stoop to rule through "fear" adding that the BJP is using violence and hate to polarise society.
"Masked men attacking teachers and students in JNU shows the low to which the government will stoop in order to rule through fear. The BJP is using violence and hate to polarise society and stifle dissent. The ABVP are acting like the storm troopers of the BJP," he said in a tweet on Sunday night.
The BSP has termed the mob attack as shameful and demanded a judicial probe into the incident.
"The violence against students and teachers in JNU is shameful and condemnable. The Centre should take it seriously and it would be better to order a judicial probe into it," Mayawati said in a tweet in Hindi on Monday.
AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi expressed solidarity with students of JNU and said the "cruel attack" was meant to "punish" the students as they "dared to stand up".
"In solidarity with the brave students of JNU. This cruel attack is meant to 'punish' JNU students because they dared to stand up. It's so bad that even Union Ministers are tweeting helplessly. Modi Sarkar must answer why cops are siding with goons," the Hyderabad MP tweeted.
The JNU administration and political leaders, cutting across party lines, condemned the attack on students and urged the police to take action against the perpetrators.
Delhi Police has transferred the case to Crime Branch and declared that they'd verify the complaints filed by both the ABVP and the JNUSU blaming each other for the attack.
(With inputs from PTI, ANI)