‘Strict action against those disrupting academic environment’: JNU on scuffle over fellowship

NEW DELHI: The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) alleged that two security guards were beaten up mercilessly by the students and has ‘assured’ strict action against those found guilty of "disrupting the academic environment" of the campus on August 22. A scuffle broke out between students and security guards after the students belonging to the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) gathered at the finance office demanding release of the fellowships.

“The university authorities have taken a serious cognizance of the above incident of disrupting the office work, stopping the university employees from discharging their duties, damaging the university property, and attacking on the unarmed security guards who were rescuing the staff from the section,” JNU registrar said in a statement.

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According to JNU’s official statement, around 15 students barged into the students and project section of the university at 10:30 AM confining the staff to their seats. They stopped the entry and exit resulting in disruption of office work and students’ dealing. Even after three university authorities rushed to the section to resolve the situation, these students refused any dialogue. “They were threatening the Vice Chancellor and rector and kept intimidating the officers,” JNU statement said.

Attack on 'unarmed' security

JNU registrar went on to say that since it was 1pm and the staff including female members wanted to have their lunch, some university officers appealed to the students to allow the staff to eat, but students didn’t listen and started misbehaving with the female members. The staff members had developed health issues due to confinement and an ambulance was called but the students didn’t let the staff members go outside. The Staff Association of the university gathered outside the section to rescue the staff members. The police had also been called to rescue some staff members who developed serious health issues.

“But as the situation was getting serious, the university authority was left with no option but to ask the unarmed security, not the police, to get the staff released in order to avoid any serious medical complication and further escalation of the conflict between students and the staff,” JNU claimed.

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Explaining the incident that followed, the statement said that the moment these ‘unarmed’ security guards tried to enter the section, the students unleashed an attack on them with chairs and smashed the glass panes leading them hurt and bleeding.

As the security guards managed to rescue the staff, the students got irked and started attacking the guards wherever they found them as well as threatened others, JNU alleged.

Whereas, the ABVP has alleged that the JNU guards have beaten up the students and dragged them outside at the behest of the VC rector. It claimed that several students got hurt as a result. Meanwhile, JNU Teachers' Forum (JNUTF) strongly condemned the violence "unleashed" by JNU admin on the students. "JNUTF strongly condemns the violence unleashed by JNU admin on afflicted students, who have been facing tremendous hardships due to non-payment of fellowships. Instead of empathising, the admin has acted in most heinous manner," JNUTF tweeted.