JNU students, staff clash over stalled scholarships

“As it was almost 1 pm and the staff were still confined in the section. Some officers were sent again to the section to appeal to these students to allow the staff to have their lunch but to no avail. These students were misbehaving with the staff, including lady staff present in the section,” the statement added.

Ravikesh said the university authorities also reported about the development of medical problems among some staff members who were not allowed to move from the section. An ambulance was immediately called but the protesting students did not allow even the ailing staff members to go outside, alleged the registrar.

“Some staff inside the hall had called police as they had developed serious health issues under confinement and mistreatment. Police personnel were present in their vehicle outside the building. But 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 to avoid any serious medical complications and further escalation of conflict between students and the staff,” the registrar said.

“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,” the statement said, adding the security guards managed to resuce the staff. The safe rescue of the staff of the section seems to have irked these students and they started attacking badly the security guards wherever they found them alone, JNU said.

“Two security guards were beaten up mercilessly by these students and the guards were bleeding profusely. These students have also threatened the other security staff for another attack shortly. The injured guards were rushed to the University Health Centre for medical treatment,” the statement added.

However, the ABVP has alleged that JNU administration carried out a violent attack on the students to suppress the scholarship “scam”. ABVP’s JNU unit president Kumar said, “When the students went to admin seeking answers, JNU admin staff mocked and abused them. Also, students of JNU have alleged that they were beaten up by admin workers when they were simply demanding their fellowships.”

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.