Protests over the alleged violence against students outside Ramjas College on February 22 took on national stature on Tuesday, as leaders such as CPI-M chief Sitaram Yechury and CPI's D Raja joined the students' agitation in the Delhi University's Art Department.
The violence, which occurred over the invitation to controversial former JNUSU leader Umar Khalid to Ramjas College for a talk, caught national psyche when a 20-year-old student and daughter of Kargil martyr Gurmehar Kaur tweeted and shared images agianst the elleged ABVP harrasment of her fellow students.
This was Saturday, since then the DU student has been trolled by likes of Virender Sehwag, Randeep Hooda and BJP MP Pratap Simha. She was called anti-national and even received several rape threats.
Gurmehar filed an official complaint against such threats with DCW on Monday, and with Delhi Police on Tuesday. While she faced opposition from many, several others came out in her support. NSUI and JNU took out a massive protest against 'goondagardi' in Delhi University on Tuesday.
Even though Gurmehar pulled out, protest started by her took on a major form as the day proceeded.
At one hand NSUI and JNU came out in full strength against Ramjas violence, ABVP staged their own protest saying that they are also against violence and are being wrongfully accused for the clash on February 22.
By afternoon, Former JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar and former JNUSU vice-president Shehla Rashid joined the protest at DU’s Arts Faculty.
The agitation turned fully political after CPI-M chief Sitaram Yechury and CPI leader D Raja joined students.
From Congress camp, Robert Vadra was the first one to come forward and support Gurmehar's stand on Tuesday morning. Later in the day, Congress leader P Chidambaram reportedly raised the matter in parliamentary standing committee meeting. He demanded to see a report from Delhi Police on the investigation, ANI reported, quoting sources.
The matter seems far from over. By the end of the day on Tuesday JNU students filed a fresh FIR against ABVP student over alleged manhandling and harassment. ABVP has promised a protest on March 2.
