A day after unprecedented violence was unleashed on the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus by a mob of masked men and women, the students’ union on Monday hit out at the Vice-Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar accusing him of “perpetuating” violence.

In a statement, the JNUSU said the Vice-Chancellor “is behaving like a mobster who perpetuates violence in the university” he is supposed to administer.

The students’ union alleged that the V-C “uses all means and manner to see to it that students, teachers, Karmacharis and the entire JNU community face violence by criminals imported from outside”.

It said Vice-Chancellor Jagadesh Kumar is a “coward who introduces illegal policies through the backdoor, runs away from the questions of students or teachers and then manufactures a situation to demonize JNU”.
The union also alleged that ABVP activists were being hired on a large scale in the Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers’ Federation (JNUTF), to “turn the campus into a war zone”.

The JNUSU further asserted that the violence inside the campus on Sunday was a “result of the desperation and frustration of the VC and his cronies”.

It also attacked the Delhi Police accusing it of providing “a safe passage to ABVP goons imported from outside”.

“The Delhi Police which perpetrated violence on Jamia changed their roles but not the intent. They stood as mute spectators while goons carried sticks and iron rods to beat up students. They also allowed safe passage to the goons,” the JNUSU statement read.

It added that it has noted the role of the Police “managed by Amit Shah” which is now infamous for its role in such situations.

It further accused that the V-C had been directing ABVP people to come and beat up students since January 4.

“For four years now, this Vice-Chancellor has been intently engaged in the favourite project of the Sangh Pariwar which is to destroy JNU,” the statement read.

Concluding that Vice-Chancellor Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar has tried to destroy the culture and academics of the university, the students’ union called for his resignation.

Condemning the violence, the university administration said Sunday’s incident was linked to the agitation over a fee hike. Students opposing the hike wanted to disrupt the admissions process and there have been clashes and vandalism on Friday and Saturday.

The registrar said in a statement said that students against registration process beat up those in favour of it before the police could reach.

“The JNU administration feels great pain and anguish for the students who have sustained injuries in the violence that took place on the JNU campus. The JNU administration strongly condemns any form of violence in the campus,” the V-C had tweeted on Sunday.

Unprecedented violence was witnessed in the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on Sunday as several masked individuals, both male and female, thrashed students, including girls, and teachers inside the campus with wooden and metal rods, injuring at least 34.

The mob was seen carrying hammers, iron rods, sledgehammers and stones in videos and photographs that emerged out of the JNU campus.

Eyewitnesses have said the 50-odd goons entered the campus around 6.30 pm on Sunday.

The JNUSU tweeted that the attackers were “unknown ABVP goons” and were even beating up professors trying to protect students.

However, the RSS-affiliated outfit has denied the charges.

The Congress on Monday accused the government of harbouring enmity with the youth of the country and said violence in the JNU campus reminded it of the Nazi rule.

Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala also accused the JNU administration of being complicit in the violent attack on Sunday night.

The party also alleged that the Delhi Police remained a mute spectator when students were being attacked by armed miscreants.