Probe proves Left-wing students' role in JNU violence, malafide campaign to malign ABVP: Javadekar

Union Minister Prakash Javadekar on Friday said the Delhi Police's ongoing probe into the January 5 violence in the Jawaharlal Nehru University has made it clear that students affiliated to Left-wing bodies were involved in the incident. Javadekar, who is BJP's in-charge for the upcoming Delhi polls, said the revelation by the police was "very important" as a "malafide" campaign was being run to malign the party's student outfit Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP).

He also attacked the Congress, CPI, CPI(M) and AAP, saying these parties were "using students for their interests as they were frustrated after their defeat in the Lok Sabha polls". The AAP had earlier blamed the BJP of having "mastery in fuelling riots" and raising such issues before elections.

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor too accused the BJP of seeking to polarise voters before elections through incidents of violence. Javadekar also appealed to the agitating JNU students to end the stir and allow academic session to commence.

The Delhi Police on Friday named nine suspects involved in the violence, claiming that seven of them belong to Left-leaning student organisations while two are affiliated to right-wing students' body. "Today's revelation by the police was very important because a malafide campaign was launched 3-4 days ago, painting ABVP in black as the only culprit," Javadekar told reporters.

"But, now it is known that CPI and CPI (M) student organisations and JNU Students' Union have done it (violence) after planning. They destroyed server of the university to stop registration of students, disabled CCTV cameras, and hit students in Periyar hostel," the minister alleged.

Javadekar said the students should not allow them to be "used" by political parties for their vested interests. He appealed to the students to end their stir so that the new semester could begin. He said the students should care for wishes of their parents who have sent them for good education at the prestigious university.

"I appeal for beginning the academic session peacefully. The students may raise their demands, but allowing the political parties to use them is wrong. We condemn violence. Students may agitate but physical violence is wrong. We also participated in students politics but it should not be violent," Javadekar said. He also asked political parties not to "misuse" students in their politics and held leaders of the Left, Congress and AAP "responsible" for "instigating" them.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)