Thousands March in Delhi Demanding Removal of JNU Vice Chancellor
Masihuzzama Ansari | India Tomorrow
NEW DELHI, JANUARY 09— Thousands of people – students, teachers, social activists, politicians, and others – took out a massive protest march here on Thursday against the brutal assault of students and teachers of Jawaharlal Nehru University. They were demanding immediate removal of JNU Vice Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar for his failure in protecting the students and teachers at the campus last week.
Besides youths, some senior leaders of CPI-M, CPI, RJD and others were among the marchers.
“Vice Chancellor is conniving with ABVP and the ruling party and that is why no objective and fair inquiry is possible. We want the VC be removed. The first person who should take responsibility for the present mess in JNU is the Vice Chancellor,” said senior leader of CPI-M Prakash Karat while talking to the media on the sidelines of the protest march at Mandi House.
On Sunday (Jan 05), scores of masked men had barged into the hostels of JNU and brutally assaulted students and teachers. Some of the masked men were later identified as members of RSS’ student wing ABVP. JNU Students Union president Aishe Ghosh was among dozens of students to have been brutally assaulted by the goons. She sustained head injuries and got his left hand fractured.
It is alleged that while the goons were rampaging the hostels and beating inmates, the personnel of Delhi Police were standing at the main gate of the university. In full public glare and in the presence of police, the masked goons went out of the campus. None of them were arrested.
Several academicians also took part in the protest march.
Talking to India Tomorrow, Prof. Ratan Lal of Delhi University strongly attacked the BJP-RSS combine for the attack on universities.
“The continuous attacks being carried out on universities these days were to happen because Sangh-sponsored government of BJP never had education, university and job in their agenda. Their agenda has implementation of manusmriti and opening of gurukuls where only a section will have right to get education and rest including marginalized, dalits and Muslims will have no such right. That is why it was necessary for them to attack on universities,” said Prof. Lal.
Saying that society has come out on the streets against the failure of the current government, he asked political parties to follow the society.
“The sitting government has failed on all fronts – it is unable to provide job, law and order is deteriorating. We have no option but to fight against them politically and on the roads. Today it is only the society that is on the road. Political parties will also have to come on the road,” he said.
Other leaders present in the march included Sitaram Yechury and Brinda Karat from CPI-M, D Raja from CPI and Prof Manoj Jha from RJD.
Several protesters were also carrying placards with messages against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, National Register of Citizens and National Population Register.
They were also condemning attacks on the students of Jamia Millia Islamia and Aligarh Muslim University during protest against CAA last month.
Addressing the students, CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yechury said: “I am here as a former president of JNU Students Union to extend my solidarity with you students. I have always been with you.”
Congratulating the students for holding the massive protest march, he said: “The administration had planned not to allow you even to Mandi House. But you have made it a big. It is the success of your constant struggle that the HRD Minister has today invited you for talks.”
Yechury demanded dismissal, not resignation, of JNU VC.
The JNU students have been protesting for the past two months seeking withdrawal of the hostel fee hike.
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