'Delhi Police Kya Karti, Upar Se Aadesh Tha': Arvind Kejriwal On JNU Mob Attack

In a rare show of support, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday defended the Delhi Police for its conduct during the JNU mob attack on January 5. While addressing media in Delhi, Kejriwal indirectly blamed the Narendra Modi government for the way the cops remained ‘mute spectators’ on the day when the masked thugs terrorised the JNU students. “Delhi Police kya kar sakti hai? Oopar se aadesh agar aayega ki aapko hinsa nahi rokni, law and order theek nahi karna hai to vo bichare kya karenge? Agar nahi manenge to suspend ho jayenge (sic) (What would have Delhi Police done? They had the order from the above to not stop the violence, not to restore the law and order. They would have been suspended if they had acted on time),” Kejriwal was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

Arvind Kejriwal has faced lot of criticism for not visiting the JNU even as news channels flashed the disturbing videos of injured students. However, the Aam Aadmi Party defended the Kejriwal. Sanjay Singh said that had Kejriwal gone to the spot, the BJP would have vitiated the atmosphere there and blamed it on him. "The law and order situation is in shambles in the national capital. Why is Amit Shah sleeping. What has happened is very unfortunate. It has shocked the whole country and it is a very worrying issue for us," he further said.

The night of terror

On January 5, Kejriwal had tweeted: “I am so shocked to know abt the violence at JNU. Students attacked brutally. Police shud immediately stop violence and restore peace. How will the country progress if our students will not be safe inside univ campus? Spoke to Hon’ble LG and urged him to direct police to restore order. He has assured that he is closely monitoring the situation and taking all necessary steps (sic)”. Violence broke out at JNU on Sunday night as a group of masked people armed with sticks and rods attacked students and teachers and damaged property on campus, prompting the administration to call in the police.

Aishe Ghosh injured

At least 35 people, including JNU Students' Union president Aishe Ghosh, were injured in the violence in the university. They were admitted to AIIMS Trauma Centre here and discharged on Monday. Meanwhile, the Delhi Police has got vital clues about the identities of masked men who attacked students at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and is on the verge of cracking the case, government sources said. Police personnel are on "extra alert" on Wednesday following the mobilisation of students and teachers on the university campus, they said.

Teams of both the Crime Branch and Forensic Science Laboratory have visited the campus to collect evidence. Videos are also being scrutinised, they said. An appeal has already been made to public to share information and video clips of the incident, police added.