Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) administration condemned the violence which had broken out in its campus on January 5, leaving scores of people injured.
"On January 5, when students who have registered in the winter semester wanted to enter the school buildings, they were physically prevented by the agitating students. Since January 5 afternoon, the campus has witnessed scuffles at the schools as well as inside the hostel premises between the groups of students who wanted to stop the registration and those who wanted to register and continue their studies," the press note by JNU Registrar on Sunday read.
"Around 4.30 PM, a group of students, who are against the registration process moved aggressively from the front of the admin block and reached the hostels. The administrationimmediately contacted the police to come quickly and maintain law and order on the campus.However, by the time police came, the students who are for the registration were beaten up by a group of agitating students opposing the registration," the press note added.
Regarding the violence and vandalisation which had taken place inside the hostels in the campus, it said, "Some masked miscreants also entered the Periyar hostel rooms and attacked the students with sticks and rods. Some of the security guards doing duties at these places were also badly injured."
It further added, "The JNU administration strongly condemns any form of violence in the campus... It is unfortunate that a group of students with their violent means of protests are preventing thousands of non-agitating students from pursuing their academic activities. The JNU administration stands by every student who wants to continue their academic programs peacefully in the campus."
Meanwhile, JNU Vice-Chancellor, Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar expressed concern for the injured students. "The JNU administration feels great pain and anguish for the students who have sustained injuries in the violence that took place in the JNU campus. The JNU administration strongly condemns any form of violence in the campus," Kumar's tweet, which also had the press note by the university's Registrar, read.
18 injured students have been taken to the AIIMS Trauma Centre after a masked mob entered the JNU and attacked them and professors with sticks and rods.