Image Courtesy:Twitter
A post graduate student from the All India Students Union (AISA) was physically assaulted in the dead of night inside his hostel at the Jawaharlal Nehru University much to the ire of students and teachers alike.
According to the Indian Express, student Vivek Kumar said that the assault took place in his room at the Mahi Mandavi hostel at 1:30 AM on September 3 wherein 16 people attacked him in an inebriated state.
Soon after the incident, AISA President N. Sai Balaji posted a video of Vivek in which the MA student talks about how a group of people called out for him outside his room just as he was about to go to sleep.
Vivek, an JNU student was assaulted by 16 ABVP goons in his room with iron kadhas & rods. They abused JNUSU women councillor who came to aid Vivek. These are the goons who attacked students & teachers on Jan 5th. @DelhiPolice didn’t arrest them till date. Look what they have done pic.twitter.com/a01Hv7XNfe
— N Sai Balaji | ఎన్ సాయి బాలాజీ (@nsaibalaji) September 3, 2020
Vivek narrates a barely coherent conversation between him and the assaulter wherein the drunk abuser repeatedly accuses Vivek of lodging a false complaint. He goes on to describe how a crowd of nearly 14-16 people verbally and physically assaulted him. One of the abusers punched him with a kada (iron bangle). Vivek currently has a six-stitch wound under his eye.
Vivek identified two of these people as JNU students one of whom, he alleged, is an ABVP member. He goes on to say that his friend was also attacked while trying to defuse the situation.
This clear attempt to murder. Is there any rule of law left? It will be exactly 8 months for the 5th Jan terror attack by ABVP. Now this!@CPDelhi will you take actionor do you want students dead in hands of these goons? This BJP-RSS new India! Its troubling & atrocious pic.twitter.com/VtVN0B55Sh
— N Sai Balaji | ఎన్ సాయి బాలాజీ (@nsaibalaji) September 3, 2020
Similarly, the official Twitter account of the JUN Student Union (JNUSU) also said that the JNUSU women councillor was injured while trying to help Kumar.
Vivek, a MA IR, JNU student was attacked by 16 ABVP goons in his room with iron bracelets. Not only that, they heckled & abused JNUSU women councillor who came to aid Vivek. These goons who attacked Vivek today are ones who attacked students & teachers on Jan 5th @DelhiPolice pic.twitter.com/mw8LTyAkZ1
— JNUSU (@JNUSUofficial) September 3, 2020
In the first video, the AISA president criticised the hostel security and the JNU administration for their lack of supporting stating that “these people don’t just have a mask, but also a veil on their eyes.” Later he started a Twitter thread where he demanded that the Delhi police file an FIR on the “ABVP goons” who attacked Vivek.
What is the duty of SHO? To file complaint, investigate & stop crime? Why is the SHO Vasant Kunj telling continuously that if a case is filed against ABVP, then a case will be filed on JNU students who gathered today morning outside Sabarmati to identify ones who attacked Vivek https://t.co/pD3rbwEA6g
— N Sai Balaji | ఎన్ సాయి బాలాజీ (@nsaibalaji) September 3, 2020
Vivek lodged an FIR against the 14-16 individuals for voluntary hurt and wrongful restraint at Vasant Kunj police station. He identified four of the assaulters as ABVP associates but the right-wing student organisation has denied any relation to the incident.
“If something really happened, the university administration must conduct a fair inquiry. Any further allegations with an intention to defame ABVP will lead to legal course of action,” the ABVP told the New Indian Express.
However, Kumar insists that one of the assaulters received a message from an ABVP leader that detailed his hostel name and room number. As per the Indian Express report, the senior warden of the hostel failed to confirm this. The AISA said that they had submitted a complaint to the JNU security department on the same night. Even that is yet to be confirmed by the administration.
Other students and teachers have also expressed anger towards the incident. Following the incident, JNU professor and former member of AISA Sucheta De tweeted an angry message demanding justice for the victim.
JNU student and AISA activist Vivek Kumar was brutally attacked yesterday night when a gang of ABVP goons attacked him in his room.
At no cost must this hooliganism go unpunished.#PunishABVP pic.twitter.com/fYRIjI6gOs— sucheta de (@sucheta_ml) September 3, 2020
JNU student and AISA activist Vivek Kumar was brutally attacked yesterday night when a gang of ABVP goons attacked him in his room.
At no cost must this hooliganism go unpunished.
Modi ji kakar raha he I think it is u r plan done by u r associates.#PunishABVP pic.twitter.com/ntsVqsuPZu— Ki Ra N (@kiran_0334) September 3, 2020
Even the JNUSU General Secretary Satish Chandra Yadav condemned the incident and asked the JNU Vice-Chancellor to look into the event.
कैंपस में आये दिन मारपीट की घटना आम होते जा रही है। कैंपस में कुछ अराजक तत्व लगातार हिंसा करते आ रहे है। अगर 5 जनवरी की घटना को JNU प्रशासन गंभीरता से लिया होता तो आज ये घटना फिर से न होती।@mamidala90 उक्त घटना को गंभीरता से लेते हुए दोषियों के खिलाफ़ सख़्त करवाई की जाये। pic.twitter.com/FRiiNk9wMA
— Satish Chandra Yadav (@satish_jnu) September 3, 2020
The Vice-Chancellor has not responded to his tweet or commented about the incident.
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