JNU arrest: CPM office vandalised, 1 detained

Engineering students of Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology take out a rally in Bhopal on Sunday to protest against the arrest at Jawaharlal Nehru University. (Photo: AP)

A group of youths on Sunday tried to vandalise the CPI(M) headquarters in the national capital over the ongoing controversy over an event at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus against the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. The Delhi police has detained one of the protesters.

While the CPI(M) said the attackers were RSS and BJP workers and had hurled stones, the police said the detainee claimed to be a member of the outfit Aam Aadmi Sena.

According to deputy commissioner of police (New Delhi) Jatin Narwal, three youths came to the office of the CPI(M) where they sprayed black ink on the wall of the office building. While, two of them managed to flee, one was held by CPI(M) workers and handed over to police.

“The youth, identified as Sushant Khosla, told the police that he is a member of the Aam Aadmi Sena. We have initiated legal action in connection with the matter and investigation has been taken up,” said Mr Narwal.

Confirming the attack, CPI(M) general Sitaram Yechury said, “They tried to write slogans like Pakistan Zindabad at our office board. They were pursued by our comrades and one of them was caught and handed over to the police.”

CPI(M) sources said the youths threw stones and shouted slogans like “CPI(M) Desh Chhodo (CPI-M quit the country)”.

Condemning the incident, CPI national secretary D. Raja said, “The Sangh Pari-var cannot subvert our democratic political system and the constitutional arra-ngement of our polity. If th-ey have anything to argue, they can argue but they should not resort to such cowardly and uncivilised attacks.”

Meanwhile, Mr Raja defended his AISF leader-daughter, whose name figures in the list of JNU students accused of raising anti-India slogans, and hit out at political rivals for making irrational and baseless allegations in this regard. Mr Raja also dismissed charges that Oppos-ition parties are seeking political gain out of the situation at JNU and claimed the Left Front and the Co-ngress are extremely concerned over the developments at the varsity and fighting to protect its interest. “I know my daughter better than anybody else. She is a leader of the All India Students’ Federation (AISF). And anyone who knows history of AISF, its ideology and politics, they will never make such baseless, irrational, absurd allegations,” he said.