National President of Swaraj India Yogendra Yadav who visited the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus on Sunday evening after masked men wielding rods and sticks went on a rampage and brutally attacked students and teachers, was heckled, allegedly by students aligned with right-wing politics. Yadav who was waiting outside the main gate after being denied permission to enter the campus, was mobbed by several people, and amidst slogans of "Wapas Jao Wapas Jao, Deshdrohi Wapas Jao," he was manhandled. In the attack, Yadav fell down.
The politician and psephologist also accused police of siding with the "goons" as they remained mute spectators to the physical assault.
Yogendra Yadav being harassed at jnu main gate. We need HUGE mobilisation outside JNU main gate, where ABVP & alleged Bajrang Dal members are assaulting people. Students, staff and faculty are still trapped inside the University. #SOSJNU pic.twitter.com/I3PMMD1kwK
— Pinjra Tod (@PinjraTod) January 5, 2020
Briefing the media following the incident, he said, “As I was speaking to the teachers whom I know for years about what was happening in the campus, police dragged me saying that I am creating tension even as they (teachers) were telling me what had happened. These goons who stood here, colluded with police and overpowered me. I fell down, now the police are asking me to leave from here (campus). The police don't have the guts to make these goons move from here."
The university campus saw unprecedented violence on Sunday as 50 to 100 masked men entered the university and attacked students and teachers who had gathered for a peace march. According to a professor at the university, there had been incidents of violence in the last two days in the campus, and the teachers had called for a peace march to tide over the same. However, during the march on Sunday, goons attacked them. Many journalists outside JNU gates reported that BJP and RSS members were gathering in numbers to support ABVP, who allegedly have a hand in the attack.
In the attack at least 15 students and two professors suffered injuries and are being treated at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), according to reports. Professor Sucharita Sen, Head of the Centre for the Study of Regional Development was one of those injured.
Our team of doctors, nurses & medical volunteers who reached JNU to give first aid to injured students & teachers, was attacked by hundreds of goons. Mob manhandled doctors, nurses & threatened them. Our ambulance’s glass & windows broken, this is totally inhuman & insane. pic.twitter.com/IOiu7BHVbG
— Harjit Singh Bhatti (@DrHarjitBhatti) January 5, 2020
Besides attacking the students and teachers, the armed goons also attacked doctors, nurses and medical volunteers who visited the campus to give first aid to injured students and teachers. The goons manhandled doctors and nurses and threatened them, and allegedly vandalised the ambulance.
Teachers’ press conference interrupted by right wing supporters outside JNU main gate. #jnu #JNUViolence #JNUProtests pic.twitter.com/KepLago3Ki
— Karnika (@KarnikaKohli) January 5, 2020
I was attacked by a mob (that included a JNU Professor Mishra, Dept of Sanskrit) in the presence of police and media.
— Yogendra Yadav (@_YogendraYadav) January 5, 2020
Minor injury. I am safe. Staying put outside the north gate of JNU while goon attack continues inside the campus under police protection. https://t.co/976PbPJ9tf