Right-wing activist throws shoe at Kanhaiya

An activist belonging to a Sangh-affiliate hurled a shoe at Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union (JNUSU) president Kanhaiya Kumar at a meeting here on Thursday.

Kanhaiya was speaking at a meet on constitutional Rights, organised by the All India Students Federation (AISF) and other Left-wing groups. While the shoe fell midway, AISF activists thrashed the attacker and handed him over to the police.

One of the two Goraksha Dal activists, Pawan Kumar Reddy and Naresh Kumar who were sitting among the audience, threw the shoe minutes after Kanhaiya began his speech. Pawan continued shouting “Jai Bharat Mata Ki” and “Desh Drohi Kanhaiya,” while AISF leaders were guarding Kanhaiya.

Kanhaiya urged AISF activists to not react. “They can’t intimidate me. I am not afraid of such acts. The RSS people would go to any extent to get coverage. One day they will realise that they were throwing chappal at themselves,” he said, while continuing his speech.

The police have arrested Pawan and Naresh. Earlier, while addressing a press conference, Kanhaiya said universities in the country are under a serious attack. “Why FTII, Aligarh Muslim University, Jadhavpur university, HCU and JNU, one after the other the campuses are becoming war zones?” he said.

The JNU students union leader said some student unions are acting as informers and mercenaries to the government which is trying to brand people who fight for social justice as anti-nationals.

“Efforts are being made to wipe out the line between anti-government acts as anti-national. Desh Bhakthi and Modi Bhakti are two different things,” Kanhaiya added. Later in the afternoon, Kanhaiya addressed a seminar on Rights of Students, organised by the Joint Action Committee of Left Students Unions in Vijayawada.

He was accorded a grand welcome at the Gannavaram airport and was taken to the venue in a rally amid threats by the BJP, RSS, ABVP and right-wing activists.

Several BJP, BJP Mahila Morcha and ABVP activists were taken into custody by the police after they raised slogans against Kanhaiya and jostled with AISF activists.