Kanhaiya claims attack by co-passenger on Mumbai-Pune flight

JNU Students Union president Kanhaiya Kumar today said that a co-passenger allegedly tried to attack him on a flight from Mumbai to Pune.

A man identified as Manas Jyoti Deka has been detained in connection with the incident, police said, adding no FIR has been so far registered.

"A person has been detained for allegedly attacking Kanahiya onboard a Pune-bound flight. The matter is being probed further," a senior police official said.

Later, Kanhaiya was offloaded by the airline citing safety, forcing him to take the road route to Pune.

Kanhaiya, who hit the headlines after being arrested on charges of sedition in the aftermath of an event on the JNU campus where alleged anti-India slogans were raised, said in a tweet, "Yet again, this time inside the aircraft, a man tries to strangulate me".

The man's attempt to attack Kanhaiya was evaded by his colleagues who were on the same flight, according to All India Students' Federation national president Syed Waliullah Kadri.

"Kanhaiya, I and two others from JNU had boarded the flight from Mumbai. This man suddenly got up and tried to attack Kanhaiya," Kadri claimed.

Following the ruckus, the four approached Mumbai Airport authorities to file a complaint in this regard.

"After the incident @jetairways staff completely refuses to take any action against the man who assaulted me," Kanhaiya alleged in another tweet.

Hitting out at the airline further, Kanhaiya also said that it sees no difference between "someone who assaults and one who is assaulted". He appeared to also suggest that the one who is attacked will be "deplaned" by the service provider "if he complains about it".

"Basically @jetairways sees no difference between someone who assaults nd d person who is assaulted. They will deplane you, if you complain," the 29-year-old student union leader said in another tweet.

Meanwhile, Jet, in a statement, said some guests on board flight 9W618, Mumbai to Pune, have been offloaded in the interest of operational safety.

"Some guests on board Jet Airways fight 9W618 from Mumbai to Pune have been off loaded at Mumbai airport in the interest of operational safety. At Jet Airways, the safety and security of our guests and crew is always of prime importance," the spokesman added.

He is scheduled to attend an event in Pune later in the day.  In Pune, police has stepped up security measures at city airport and the venue of Kanhaiya Kumar's rally scheduled this evening after the alleged attack on him at Mumbai airport.

Kanhaiya, who was scheduled to arrive at Pune airport at 1030 hrs this morning by a Jet Airways flight from Mumbai, had not landed in Pune by late afternoon, as representatives of Left-dominated students' organisations waited to receive him.

Girish Fonde, a students' leader from the organisers of the event in Pune, condemned the alleged assault on Kanhaiya and said they were determined to hold the scheduled meeting at Bal Gandharva auditorium (in Pune) despite the threats.

Police, who insisted on changing the original meeting venue on grounds of security, have asked the students' leader to desist from making "provocative" statements in his address.

The JNU student leader had yesterday, at an event in Tilak Nagar, came down heavily on the Narendra Modi dispensation, terming it a "Government of selfies and jumlas" as he pushed for enactment of a law to prevent caste-based prejudice in educational institutions.

Manas Deka, works in TCS, a strong BJP supporter assaulted me inside the aircraft. Is assault the only tool you have, to fight dissent?

— Kanhaiya Kumar (@kanhaiyajnusu) April 24, 2016

After the incident @jetairways staff completely refuses to take any action against the man who assaulted me.

— Kanhaiya Kumar (@kanhaiyajnusu) April 24, 2016