ABVP member says violence inside campus launched by ‘Leftists’; Yogendra Yadav attacked

Several men with faces covered, who identified themselves as “nationalists and supporters of ABVP”, gathered outside the North Gate of Jawaharlal Nehru University on Sunday evening, holding sticks and rods, and raising “Bharat Mata ki Jai” slogans.

As it happened: Masked goons strike terror in JNU, none arrested

The group present there attacked activist Yogendra Yadav, while he was making an attempt to speak to the teachers.

“They [teachers] were telling me about the situation inside the campus when the police dragged me from there. All these goondas joined the police in assaulting me. This happened in front of the camera,” Mr. Yadav alleged.

Mob threatens scribes

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Later, he was taken out of the area amid heavy police presence even as the mob continued to heckle him. The mob also threatened journalists present at the spot among others.

Police stood guard

After reports of a mob on rampage, stone-pelting and violence from inside the campus, it was closed and the police stood guard at the university’s North Gate.

JNUSU President has been brutually attacked by ABVP Gundas. #SOSJNU pic.twitter.com/X9yJ4r7DeY — JNUSU (@JNUSUofficial) January 5, 2020

Meanwhile, all street lights leading up to the gate were disconnected, leaving the area in darkness.

Delhi Social Media Coordinator (ABVP) Anurag Gautam, a student of Delhi University, said people had gathered in support of injured ABVP students inside the campus, who he alleged had been at the receiving end of “unprecedented violence and stone-pelting by Leftists”.

“Are they students or Naxalites?” he asked.

The mob also attacked an ambulance, carrying nine doctors, while it tried to enter the campus to provide medical assistance to the injured students. Some of the accused deflated the tyres of the vehicle.

‘Don’t click pictures’

The mob also asked individuals not to click pictures or take videos of the incident. They attacked those who refused to listen to them.

The ABVP supporters here blamed the “leftists” for the stone-pelting at Periyar hostel. The mob chanted “Vande Mataram”, “Jai Shree Ram”, “Delhi Police Zindabad”, “Desh ke gadaron ko goli maron salon ko”. Some of them even called the students “Naxalites”.