Nationwide outrage over the violence in the JNU campus in New Delhi founds its expression in Maharashtra also where protests were organised on Monday to denounce the attack on students, teachers and vandalism inside the prestigious university.
Protests against the violence - that had left at least 34 people, including JNU Students' Union (JNUSU) president Aishe Ghosh, injured - were held in Mumbai, Aurangabad and Pune among other cities. Political leaders led by state Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray also condemned the attack.
Maharashtra minister Jitendra Awhad joined the protest at the Gateway of India in south Mumbai, while Thackeray said the JNU violence reminded him of the deadly 26/11 terror attacks in the financial capital.
A poster with the message "Free Kashmir" was carried by one of the protesters at Mumbai's Gateway of India.
Reacting sharply to the poster, former Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis took to Twitter and wrote: "Protest is for what exactly? Why slogans of 'Free Kashmir'? How can we tolerate such separatist elements in Mumbai? 'Free Kashmir' slogans by Azadi gang at 2km from CMO? Uddhav ji are you going to tolerate this Free Kashmir Anti India campaign right under your nose???" he tweeted.
Violence had broken out at JNU on Sunday night as masked men armed with sticks and rods attacked students and teachers and damaged property on the campus.
The Left-controlled JNUSU and the RSS-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) have blamed each other for the violence that continued for nearly two hours.
Awhad sat with the protesters for a while on Monday. "When people fear intellect, there is anarchy," the NCP minister told reporters.
NCP president Sharad Pawar said JNU students were subjected to a cowardly and planned attack.
Hundreds of people, including students, women and senior citizens - who assembled at the Gateway of India at Sunday midnight - demanded action against the culprits and called for Union Home Minister Amit Shah's resignation.
"JNU students and professors were subjected to a cowardly but planned attack," Pawar said.
"Use of violent means to suppress democratic values and thought will never succeed," the former Union minister said.
Asserting that students in Maharashtra were safe, Thackeray said he will not tolerate any move to hurt them. Terming the masked attackers at JNU as "cowards", Thackeray said their identity should be revealed.
The protesters at the Gateway of India refused to end their stir till their demands were met.
/newsnation-english/media/agency_attachments/2024-07-23t155806234z-logo-webp.webp){kind=logo}
Follow Us/newsnation-english/media/post_attachments/images/2020/01/07/jnufreekashmir-624.jpg)