JNU clash: Students, security staff clash at premier varsity

New Delhi [India], August 22 (ANI): A scuffle broke out between a group of students and security guards at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) after which the varsity said it is looking into the incident and will take  strict action against those found guilty.

However, the JNU unit of the ABVP, the student wing of the BJP, claimed that students were beaten at the behest of the institution's authorities. The students' were protesting for their rights, the ABVP said.

"Today, at 10.30 a.m. around 15 students barged into the Students’ and Project Section of the University confining the staff to their seats only. They stopped the exit and entry of anybody in the Section as a result of which the office work and students’ dealing came to a standstill," informed JNU.

"As soon the matter was brought to the notice of the University Authorities, three senior officers of the University were rushed to the section to know the contention of these students so as to resolve the matter. These students were repeatedly requested to come for dialogue and not to confine the staff as there were female staff members also present in the section.

But they totally refused for any dialogue. They were threatening the Vice Chancellor and Rector and kept intimidating the officers," the JNU administration further claimed.

Divulging more details into the scuffle, the varsity said, "As the situation was getting serious, the University authority was left with no other option but to ask the unarmed security staff, not the police, to get the staff released in order to avoid any serious medical complication and further escalation of conflict between students and the staff. The moment these unarmed security guards tried to enter the section, the students started attacking them with chairs and smashing the glass panes of the section. There was utter chaos in the Section."

According to JNU, some security staff members were badly hurt and started bleeding profusely following the clash.

"University Administration is looking into this incident and assures the JNU Community that strict action will be taken against those found guilty as per University rules. The University Administration also appeals to refrain from indulging in such disruptive activities," JNU stated.

"University authorities have taken serious cognizance of the incident of disrupting the office work, stopping University employees from discharging their duties, damaging property and attacking the unarmed security guards who were rescuing the staff from the section," the JNU statement further read.

As per information, the students were demanding the distribution of scholarships which were "pending" for two years. "Students staged a protest at the administration office when the guards of JNU security came and tried to remove them. A scuffle broke out between students and guards on duty," said a police official.

However, the police said they had not received any complaints about the incident. "So far no complaint has been received in this regard. Necessary legal action will be taken when received," added the police official.

As per some claims, some students were injured during the clash. "At the behest of the VC Rector, JNU guards beat up the students, and dragged them. Several students got hurt," tweeted BJP youth wing ABVP's JNU unit.

The JNU ABVP tweeted a video of the incident and wrote, "After exposing the corruption of the JNU, when the ABVP JNU activists were agitating for the stalled scholarship of JNU students for years, the goons of the Rector posted as the security guard of JNU attacked the students. #JNURector_gunda_hai #JNURector_must_resign."

"NAXALI JNU Admin attacked students for asking their rightful fellowships. The security didn't spare even the girls and the divyang students. Many students have been seriously injured and the fellowship section is red with the students blood #ShameOnJNUAdmin@JNU_official_50," wrote ABVP JNU.

In another tweet, the ABVP JNU said, "The students who are raising their voice for their rights have paid this price. The JNU Rector and his henchmen are running a prestigious university as their own property." (ANI)