Masked men attack JNU profs, students : Hindu group claims responsibility

New Delhi: A fringe group Hindu Raksha Dal has taken responsibility for the attack on students and teachers of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).

The group's leader Pinky Chaudhary took the onus of the attack on Tuesday in a video posted on Twitter.

"JNU is a hotbed of anti-national activities, we can't tolerate this. We take full responsibility of the attack in JNU and would like to say that they were our workers," Chaudhary said in the video, according to news agency ANI.

Government sources said the claims made by Chaudhary are being investigated. "Delhi Police has taken cognisance. To identity masked men in JNU, Police is taking help of video footage as well as face recognition systems," ANI said quoting sources.

More than 30 people were injured in the attack on Sunday evening which took place during a meeting called by JNU teachers' association.

Masked persons with iron rods and sticks were seen roaming around the university premises and hostels, thrashing students.

The Left-backed JNUSU and the RSS-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) have blamed each other for the violence that continued for nearly two hours on Sunday.

In Ahmedabad, members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad and its rival National Students' Union of India clashed here on Tuesday during a protest against the JNU violence, leaving over 10 people injured.

The incident took place during the protest organised by NSUI, the students' wing of the Congress, outside the office of the RSS-affiliated ABVP in the city's Paldi area.

The police later rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control, an official said.

Both the student bodies alleged that sticks and stones were used to attack each other, and claimed more than five members each from the two sides were injured in the clash.

Gujarat NSUI general secretary Nikhil Savani sustained serious head injuries and was admitted to V S General Hospital here, a member of the Congress students' body said.

In Mumbai, the sports fraternity seemed to be affected by the horrific incident.

As soon as former India cricketer-turned-commentator Sanjay Manjrekar expressed his support for the ongoing protests in Mumbai which were organized for showing solidarity with the JNU students, Olympic bronze medallist Yogeshwar Dutt also joined the debate.

"Well done Mumbai!," Manjrekar had retweeted a post which showed images from the protest organised at the Gateway of India.

In response, Dutt quoted a photograph from the same protest which showed a girl holding a 'Free Kashmir' placard and questioned Manjrekar: "This is also the truth of the same procession.

Sanjay Manjrekar what do you have to say about such people?" Nobel laureate and child right activist Kailash Satyarthi termed the incident "shameful" and "disgraceful".

"Attacks on JNU students by masked goons is utterly shameful. If our daughters aren''t safe in girls hostels of universities like JNU and Jamia, there is nothing more disgraceful," Satyarthi told IANS.

"Whoever these attackers are they can''t be students. All students organisations must oppose violence," he added.

It is heartening to see people come out and raise their voice without fear, said actor Deepika Padukone after visiting JNU on Tuesday as thousands across the country took to the streets to voice their protest against the amended Citizenship Act, the National Register of Citizens and violence.