Left or Right: Who was behind Sunday mayhem on JNU campus?

Sunday’s mayhem at Jawaharlal Nehru University, in which masked assailants attacked students and faculty members on campus with sledgehammers and iron rods, leaving more than 25 bloodied, has left Left-leaning student’s organisations and RSS-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) blaming each other for the attack.

Even though the Left-leaning organisations including SFI, AISA and DSF have alleged that the attack was perpetrated by ABVP members, the latter on the other hand has alleged that several of its members including its JNU unit secretary were brutally attacked by Leftist students on Sunday and that 11 of its members were missing.

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Fingers raised at ‘Leftist goons’

“ABVP members have been brutally attacked by students affiliated to Left student organisations- SFI, AISA and DSF. Around 25 students have been seriously injured in this attack and there is no information about the whereabouts of 11 students. Many ABVP members are being attacked in hostels and hostels are being vandalised by the leftist goons,” Durgesh Kumar, president of ABVP, JNU, said in a statement.

“Left goons have unleashed their red terror in JNU. Armed with sticks, rods, stones, acid they have visited every room of ABVP activist in the hostel to kill them. When they could not stop students from registering, they targeted and brutally attacked them.” ABVP posted on its JNU twitter account.

Also read: FIR filed in JNU case, crime branch to probe violence; univ officials meet L-G

Allegations have also surfaced that JNU students had called their counterparts from Jamia Millia Islamia to perpetrate an attack on right-wing students.

In a video, BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi, blaming the Leftist students’ organisations responsible for the attacks, alleged that some girls were identified and beaten on their private parts during the attacks. She said the students she interacted with have said that the goons were called and supported by leftists.

A purported video put up by Republic TV has alleged the role of JNUSU president Aishe Ghosh in inciting violence on campus by giving directions to masked men.

Others have pointed fingers at the Congress for orchestrating the attacks.

Allegations against anti-Left hate mongers

Meanwhile, in an exclusive report, the Indian Express, reported that inciting messages to “thrash anti-nationals” in JNU was already being circulated in some WhatsApp groups prior to the attacks.

“Bilkul, ek baar thik se aar paar karne ki jarurat hai, abhi nahi marenge saalo ko toh kab marenge, gand macha rakha hai komiyo ne (We need to decide it for once and all, if we don’t strike now then when, these commies have made a mess of it all),” the report quoted a JNU student and an ABVP member as responding to one such group message to incite violence. When contacted later, he said someone had misused his number.

In another group named ‘Left Terror Down Down’, a person posted, “We have so much fun at JNU. Maza aa gaya. In saalon ko deshdrohiyo ko maarke (It was fun bashing up these traitors).” When Indian Express contacted him, he admitted to being a student from Haryana.

Also read: JNU campus violence: Govt, oppn trade charges

Several others, whom Indian Express contacted said, were not students of JNU, but were added to the group.

The messages resonate with the allegations of JNU students’ union that the attacks were carried out by ABVP “goons”. The student union has alleged that students of Sabarmati Hostel, Mahi Mandvi Hostel and Periyar Hostel have been attacked by marked attackers, who also pelted stones and vandalised property at Sabarmati Hostel.

“The ABVP attackers with covered faces, are trying to enter Periyar Hostel by climbing the pipes,” JNUSU tweeted.

The students have also blamed the security personnel of the university for letting the assailants enter the campus.

Also read: JNUSU, JNUTA blame VC for violence, demand his removal