JNU violence: 'Issue was about fee hike'
New Delhi: "Why are you coming inside the campus now? Why were you standing as a mute spectator when those people were beating us up?" asked an agitated student to the police personnel guarding the Jawaharlal Nehru University's (JNU) North Gate.
Since the incident on Sunday, heavy police have been deployed at the North Gate. Students inside the campus claim that when the incident was taking place they stood as "mute spectators" and let the whole incident unfold. "We don't want any police inside our home," said a group of students at the gate.
JNU has been witnessing tensed environment since a masked mob, whom the students claim was part of ABVP, entered the campus beating teachers and students, vandalising the hostel areas. "Police was there and they didn't do anything, guards also stood and did nothing, while those goons were beating us up," said Sakshi, a student at the university.
It is this unfaithfulness with the police authority that a lot of students are leaving the varsity. One of the students Prakash, who was beaten up said that he feels more safe with media around. "The moment media leaves, we start feeling unsafe, the presence of police
doesn't matter, knowing they are not going to do anything," he said.
An undergraduate student Aashish, who was standing at the gate said in his two years at the university, he never witnessed such violence. "In 50 years the campus has never witnessed such violence. Students of JNU don't believe in physical violence, they believe in ideological discussions and debates. How can they
beat up a teacher? Tell me which student will have the will to beat up their own teachers?" he asked.
Sakshi, who looked visibility angry asked the police what they were doing the day of the incident. "Look at this police, how they are standing so vigilant now," she said turning towards the correspondent.
Aashish believes the model that was used in Jamia Millia Islamia and Aligarh Muslim University was applied at JNU as well. "There are five gates at JNU and these goons entered from all the gates. The issue has always been about the fee hike, now it has become a law and order situation. They are doing what they did in Jamia and AMU. They want that the university is shut for 10-15 days," he added.
Meanwhile, Delhi Police on Tuesday issued a public appeal seeking pictures, footage or any information related to Sunday's violence in JNU campus in which 34 people were injured. Sources said that the investigators are taking the help of a software to recognise faces that have been captured by the CCTV cameras.
The Joint Commissioner of Police (Western Range) Shalini Singh, who is heading a fact-finding committee to probe the incident also visited the JNU campus and spoke to students and teachers. "She visited the spot of the incident and will be preparing the report on violence reported on January 5," an officer said.
Crime Branch issued a public appeal urging "all those who are witnesses to the incident or have any information about the incident or have captured any activity on their mobile phones or camera" to "come forward and give their statements/footage/picture in their possession to the SIT".
Various divisions of the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) was in the university. They were there to collect the evidence like rods and stones used by the masked mob to attack students and teachers at the university, samples of chemicals if there are any.
Senior officers including Joint CP (New Delhi) Anand Mohan with DCP (south-west) Devender Arya visited the campus. The police had barricaded the area near the campus.
"A Crime Branch team of Delhi Police is probing the case in a scientific and professional manner and evidence is being collected," said Anil Mittal, Additional PRO of Delhi Police.
The Delhi Police on Monday transferred the case related to the violence at JNU to its Crime Branch.
Meanwhile, Delhi Police used Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) or drone, during a public meeting that was held inside the university.
