Mamata Condemns JNU Violence, Jadavpur University Students Take Out Protest Rally

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday condemned the assault on students and teachers of Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), terming it a “heinous act” and a “shame on democracy”. A four-member Trinamool Congress (TMC) delegation will visit JNU to express solidarity with students and teachers, she said.

“We strongly condemn brutality unleashed against students/teachers in JNU. No words enough to describe such heinous acts. A shame on our democracy,” Banerjee, also the TMC supremo, said in a tweet.

The TMC delegation comprising of senior party leader Dinesh Trivedi and MPs Sajda Ahmed, Manas Bhunia and Vivek Gupta will go to Delhi to express solidarity with the students and teachers, she said.

Violence broke out at JNU on Sunday night as masked men armed with sticks and rods attacked students and teachers and damaged properties on the campus, prompting the administration to call in the police.

At least 28 people, including JNU Students’ Union (JNUSU) president Aishe Ghosh, were injured in the violence.

The Left-controlled JNUSU and the RSS-affiliated ABVP blamed each other for the violence.

Later in the day, Arts Faculty Students Union (AFSU) of Jadavpur University took out a protest rally against the attack on female students and a teacher in JNU, students’ body leader Somasree Choudhury said.

Over 300 students participated in the rally.

The Students Federation of India (SFI) on Sunday said it will take out rallies here on Monday against the “barbaric attack” on JNU students.

The rallies will be organised in Jadavpur University and Presidency University, said leaders of the SFI, the student’s wing of the CPI(M).

Students will take out a protest rally within the campus against the “fascist” attack, said Jadavpur University leader of SFI Debraj Debnath said.

“We will also decide if protests will be held outside the campus and our future course of action against the ABVP and saffron forces,” he said.

An SFI leader of Presidency University said students will gather at the varsity’s portico on Monday and take out a protest rally.

“We will intensify our movement against the BJP and the ABVP and give a call for their boycott,” he said.

The Jadavpur University Teachers’ Association and the All Bengal University Teachers’ Association also issued statements condemning the attack on JNU students.