india

Updated: Jan 08, 2020 06:22 IST

From former student leader Kanhaiya Kumar to Bollywood actor Deepika Padukone, political figures and celebrities joined protests at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) to extend solidarity with students and teachers injured in Sunday’s mob attack.

Amid chants of “Azaadi” on Tuesday, Kanhaiya Kumar blamed the government.

“The government has chosen a wrong university to fight with. They call me the leader of tukde-tukde gang. I take it with pride. My university will always raise voice against the social injustice,” he said

On Sunday, a violent mob attacked students and teachers. More than 30 persons, including JNU student union president Aishe Ghosh, were injured.

“Let them file 70 FIRs against me. We are not afraid. We have done no crime and we will continue our fight,” said Ghosh, referring to FIRs against her.

Padukone, who turned up at the venue at 7.45pm, did not address the crowd.She walked up to Ghosh and greeted her. The actor is in town for a film promotion. A group of JNU alumni, including CPI (M) leader Sitaram Yechury, CPI’s D Raja, Congress’ Sharmistha Mukherjee and Swaraj Abhiyan chief Yogendra Yadav also took out a march demanding resignation of the vice-chancellor Jagadesh Kumar. “Many JNU alumni who are also members of Parliament have decided to write a letter to the President requesting for the dismissal of the JNU VC,” Yechury said.

Yadav said that he had come to the campus to extend solidarity with the students, but was manhandled by the mob outside the main gate on Sunday. “It’s so shocking to see the police was just standing as spectator and not stopping the violent mob.”

Raja, who had also visited the campus on Sunday night, said that whatever happened at JNU campus on Sunday was horrific. “It was a case of absolute fascism in action.”