JNU violence 'officially sponsored goondaism'; HM, HRD minister responsible: Cong

The Congress on Thursday alleged that the violence in JNU was "officially sponsored goondaism" and said Home Minister Amit Shah and HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal were responsible for it.

The Congress demanded that those behind the violence must be identified and arrested immediately.

It said normalcy in the JNU campus was not possible till its Vice Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar resigned.

"The violent incident that occurred in JNU was not a sudden development, but was planned. Everyone knows who was behind this violence.

"I make a direct charge that HRD Minister and the Home Minister are responsible for the incident. This is nothing but an officially sponsored goondaism," senior party leader Jairam Ramesh said at a press conference.

 

He said 72 hours have passed and Delhi Police knows who should be arrested but no arrest has been made so far in this regard.

"This is a deliberate negligence," he alleged.

"We demand that the culprits who have been identified, who are responsible for this violence that occurred 72 hours back, should be arrested without any further delay.

"It has become amply clear that as long the present vice chancellor remains in his position, there is no scope for normalisation of the campus situation. The government should ask the VC to resign forthwith," the Congress leader said.

Ramesh said a few months ago talks were held between Secretary, HRD Ministry and Vice Chancellor and an in principle agreement was arrived at. But, it is strange that the Secretary of the HRD Ministry has since been transferred whereas the VC is still holding on to this position, he wondered.

"The police should arrest the persons responsible for this violence, VC should resign and the demands of the students should be seriously looked into," he said.

Ramesh also said that a team constituted under the chairmanship of Mahila Congress chief Sushmita Dev will submit its report to the Congress president tomorrow.

The fact-finding team was asked to look into the JNU violence and get to the depth of the issue.

A group of masked people armed with sticks and rods attacked students and teachers and damaged property on the campus on Sunday night, prompting the university administration to call in the police.

At least 35 people, including JNU Students' Union president Aishe Ghosh, were injured in the violence. They were admitted to AIIMS Trauma Centre and discharged on Monday.