‘Make Public Whatever Proof Against Me’, Reacts Aishe, Says She Has ‘Faith in Law’

New Delhi: In a bid to deflect attention from the brutal violence unleashed by masked persons in Delhi’s premier Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) last Sunday evening that left several students and teachers injured, the Delhi Police on Friday blamed injured JNUSU leader Aishe Ghosh and eight others for alleged violence in the campus earlier.

At a press conference here, the Delhi Police (which was standing by and watching while Sunday’s violence unfolded, “waiting” for permission form the vice chancellor) skirted the issue of the main mob violence and instead released photographs of nine suspects “identified” for the violence last week, mainly belonging to Left-backed student organisations.

Those “identified” by the police are Chunchun Kumar, Pankaj Mishra, Aishe Ghosh, Vaskar Vijay Mech, Sucheta Talukdar, Priya Ranjan, Dolan Samanta, Yogendra Bhardwaj and Vikas Patel.

When asked about the masked mob involved in the brutal violence on Sunday evening, the Delhi Police admitted that it was facing “difficulty in identifying” those responsible for the attack on the Sunday because of a “lack of CCTV footage, authenticated video recordings and witnesses.”

Incidentally, a Hindu outfit, Hindu Raksha Dal, has already claimed responsibility for violence in JNU on Sunday night.

In a video message, Pinky Chaudhary (video above), leader of the outfit said it was his workers who were responsible for the attack, as JNU students were involved in “desh-virodhi gatividhiyan (anti-national activities).”

Chaudhary said. “We will not tolerate this…In the future we will do this in other universities as well.”

Reacting on the Delhi Police's allegation, JNUSU president Aishe Ghosh, who has 16 stitches on her head, she had “full faith in the law” but accused the police of bias.

At a news briefing, Ghosh said she had gone to the scene to stop the violence. "I was not wearing any masks, I have done no wrong... I still have my blood-soaked clothes," she said.

"I have full faith in the law and order of this country that investigation will be fair. I will get justice. But why is Delhi Police biased? My complaint has not been filed as an FIR. I have not carried out any assault," Ghosh said, adding that "Delhi Police should make public whatever proof it has against me.”

Earlier, DCP- Crime Branch, Joy Tirkey, accused Left-leaning student bodies for not allowing students to register for the winter semester from January 1 to 5, and also accused them of “attacking the server room at JNU to stop online registrations.”

India Today Sting

Soon after the Delhi Police press conference ended, claiming “difficulty” in identifying the masked mob, an India Today sting showed an ABVP member, Akshat Awasthi, confessing in detail on camera to organising and mobilising for the attack on JNU’s Sabarmati Hostel. ABVP or Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad is affiliated to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the parent organisation of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. However, ABVP in a tweet  late evening denied that Awasthi was a 'karyakarta'.

In the sting, Akshat, a resident of Kaveri hostel, can be seen speaking on a hidden camera, showing a video in which he could be seen rushing through the hostel corridors in maddening rage and knocking anything and anyone that came his way, the India Today report says.

"What did you have in your hand?" an India Today undercover reporter asked Awasthi.

"It was a stick, sir. I pulled it out from a flag lying near [the] Periyar [hostel]."

When the India Today reporter asked him how was able to organise mobs in a matter of hours, Awasthi named office-bearers of the ABVP from a separate campus outside.

"He's an organizational secretary of the ABVP. I called him. Left-wing students and teachers were holding a meeting at Sabarmati. When Sabarmati was attacked, they all ran away and took shelter inside," Awasthi explained.

He recounted how mobs smashed vehicles and furniture on a street facing the Sabarmati hostel, add the report.