A group of masked men entered the JNU campus last evening, spreading chaos and terror.
The unprecedented violence at Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on Sunday evening, in which 40 students and teachers were injured, has left the nation shocked and angry. As students across the country held late night protests against the mob attack in solidarity with their counterparts in Delhi, several Bollywood actors tweeted their condemnation.
A masked mob, armed with iron rods and sticks, entered the JNU campus last evening, spreading chaos and terror in a three-hour rampage. Among the most shocking visuals from Sunday's violence was that of the JNU students' union president Aishe Ghosh, her face bloodied after being attacked.
The mob attack was reported hours before an event was hosted in Mumbai by Union Minister Piyush Goyal and BJP vice president Baijayant Jay Panda to discuss "myths and realities" linked to the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, or CAA.
Among those who showed up at the meeting were filmmakers Ritesh Sidhwani, Bhushan Kumar, Kunal Kohli, Ramesh Taurani, Rahul Rawail, Censor Board chief Prasoon Joshi, Ranvir Shorey, singers Shaan and Kailash Kher and actor Urvashi Rautela. Mainstream Bollywood chose to stay away.
Actor and filmmaker Pooja Bhatt took a swipe at the actors who attended the event in a tweet. "To members of my supposed 'fraternity' who were meant to opine & dine with the ruling party this evening, trust you implored them to curtail the violence unfolding across the nation. Or at the very least, as part of the 'scrumptious' meal on offer, help yourselves to some humble pie," she wrote.
Actor Taapsee Pannu was among the first from the film fraternity to react to the mob attack. "Such is the condition inside what we consider to be a place where our future is shaped. It's getting scarred forever. Irreversible damage. What kind of shaping up is happening here, it''s there for us to see.... saddening (sic)," the 32-year-old actor, who has featured in critically-acclaimed movies such as "Pink", tweeted.
In a late night tweet, Rajkummar Rao called the mob attack "shameful, horrific and heartbreaking". "What happened in #JNU is shameful, horrific and heartbreaking. Those who are responsible behind these attacks should be punished. #JNUViolence," he tweeted.
Swara Bhaskar, a JNU alumnus, tweeted an emotional appeal soon after the attack, urging action against the mob.
Her video of appeal was shared by seasoned actor Shabana Azmi who said "condemnation is not enough". "This is beyond shocking! Condemnation is not enough. Immediate action needs to be taken against the perpetrator," she tweeted.
Riteish Deshmukh tweeted: "Why do you need to cover your face? Because you know you are doing something wrong, illegal & punishable. There is no honour in this-Its horrific to see the visuals of students & teachers brutally attacked by masked goons inside JNU-Such violence cannot & should not be tolerated (sic)."
His wife and actor Genelia Deshmukh also condemned the violence, urging police to take swift action against the men in masks. "Absolutely disturbed to see the visuals of masked goons enter JNU and attack students & teachers - sheer brutality!! Humble appeal to the police to identify the perpetrators and bring them to justice. (sic)," she tweeted.
"Enough is enough," wrote a furious Dia Mirza. "How long will this be allowed to continue? How long will you turn a blind eye? How long will the defenceless be attacked in the name of politics or religion? Enough is enough. @DelhiPolice," she tweeted.
"Students being used by political parties and their agendas is something this nation needs to address immediately. It's heartbreaking to see kids being brutalised by power hungry politicians," tweeted Ranvir Shorey, who had attended the government's outreach.
The Home Ministry has ordered a probe into the JNU incident that comes nearly a month after a massive clampdown at Delhi's Jamia Millia University triggered widespread condemnation.