New Delhi: Congress national spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala on Monday launched a scathing attack at the Centre accusing it of “sponsoring goondaism and terrorism” in the Jawaharlal Nehru University.
“The entire country witnessed “state-sponsored goondaism and terrorism” in the varsity yesterday where nearly 300 goons who were wearing masks and brandishing sledgehammers, rods, lathis and glass bottles created mayhem in JNU between 6 pm to 9 pm last night. They went hostel to hostel beating the students including the JNUSU president Ayesha Ghosh. They attacked teachers and hit them on their heads,” said Surjewala addressing a press conference here.
“The entire goondaism happened under the watch of JNU administration and Delhi Police which is directly controlled by Union Minister Amit Shah. It seems democracy and law is no more in this country,” he said.
Questioning Prime Minister Modi and Shah over the attack, the Congress leader said: “The goons entered girls hostel — Sabarmati, Kaveri and half a dozen hostels. They beat students calling them urban and anti-nationals. What were Modi ji and Shah doing? Why are you torturing, suffocating and subjugating the youth and students of India under your autocratic, despotic rule.”
He said that the manner in which students were attacked was seen during Hitler’s rule in Germany.
“The manner in which youth and students are being attacked and their voice stifled remind us of the Nazi’s Germany of 1933 which seems back to come under Modi-Shah rule after 90 years,” he alleged.
“Why are you beating up students raising their voice against fee hike which students and parents can’t pay, why are you stifling the voice of students and putting them in jails and throwing goondas at them just because they take out save constitution rally, why are you attacking students from Banaras University, IIT Madras, Hyderabad University, Jamia or JNU and so on. What does the police do?” he asked the Central government.
He claimed that the JNU administration was complicit in the attack by Goondas in JNU campus.
“The JNU admin was complicit in the attack by Goonda in JNU campus, These Goondas belong to BJP and ABVP. Delhi police remained mute spectators and didn’t intervene when the goons were breaking ambulance and beating up students and girls inside JNU campus. This was happening with the tacit support of Shah,” he said.
On Sunday evening, more than 18 students of the university, including JNUSU President Aishe Ghosh, were injured and were taken to the AIIMS Trauma Centre after a masked mob entered the JNU and attacked them and professors with sticks and rods.
The JNU administration and political leaders, cutting across political lines, had condemned the attack on students and urged the police to take action against the perpetrators.
Meanwhile, the situation remained tense but peaceful outside JNU on Monday morning as the university guards’ maintained a strict vigil at the gate, checking I-cards of all those entering the university.