On Saturday evening, amidst an ongoing electoral dispute at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in Delhi, tensions rose between students and the Delhi Police. According to reports, students affiliated with leftist organizations were heading towards Vasant Kunj North police station, but police halted their march at JNU's West Gate.
In the encounter, a clash broke out between the students and the police, resulting in the detention of 28 students, comprising 19 males and 9 females.
As per Delhi Police, among those detained were JNU Students' Union President Nitesh Kumar, Vice President Manisha, and General Secretary Muntia Fatima. The police noted that around 70-80 students had gathered at the West Gate around 6 PM and attempted to stage a protest without permission.
To prevent the students from advancing towards Nelson Mandela Marg, the area had already been barricaded, yet the students attempted to push past the barriers and proceed forward, engaging in physical altercations with the officers; some even resorted to abusive language. The police reported that during the attempts to control the situation, six officers, including four males and two females, sustained injuries and were sent for primary medical treatment.
Students accuse police of bias
JNU's leftist organizations accused the police of shielding students from the BJP-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and refraining from taking any action against them. The students mentioned that a clash broke out on Dussehra between left and right-wing students on the JNU campus, but the police acted unilaterally.
Police maintained that they were in constant dialogue with student organization leaders and assured them of legal action, requesting them to retract their 'siege' announcement. However, the students persisted, necessitating detention to prevent any untoward incidents.
Currently, legal proceedings have been initiated regarding the incident, and preparations for filing a case are underway. The university administration has also urged students to conduct themselves peacefully.
