A scuffle broke out in Patiala Court on Monday afternoon as JNU students union president Kanhaiya Kumar who was arrested on sedition charges last week was produced in court.
During the scuffle, one person claiming to be a lawyer slapped a JNU student while three journalists were also attacked.
Lawyers were seen forcibly throwing JNU faculty and students out of the court room. Woman constables too were asked to come inside to the courtroom to ensure that JNU faculty were taken out of the premises.
Teachers and students of JNU supporting Kanhaiya Kumar were allegedly manhandled and forced out of court by lawyers shouting slogans like “Long Live India, down with JNU”.
Kanhaiya Kumar, the chief of the JNU students’ union, was arrested on Friday by plainclothesmen on campus for allegedly participating in the Afzal Guru event on February 9, in which anti-India slogans were allegedly raised.
“He gave an anti-national speech and was part of the unlawful assembly where anti-national slogans and speeches took place,” Delhi Police chief BS Bassi said.
Many students have refused to attend classes at the prestigious university over the arrest. Their demand for Kanhaiya Kumar’s release has been supported by political parties like the Congress and Left. Some 500 teachers of the prestigious university have also decided to go on strike.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh said yesterday that the Afzal Guru event was “supported by terror mastermind Hafiz Saeed”.
“What happened at JNU has been fully supported by Lashkar chief Hafiz Saeed. I appeal to all political parties that whenever such situations arise where anti-India slogans are raised, the entire nation must speak in one voice,” the home minister said.
As the comment led to opposition anger, the Home ministry clarified that Rajnath Singh’s remarks were based on “inputs from different agencies”.
