Scores of lawyers, including those who defied police summons over the violence in a Delhi court complex, took out a protest march today even as the JNU row sparked clashes between rival student groups in Jaipur and police action in Hyderabad where several people were detained.
In the national capital, the lawyers, mostly from Patiala House and several other district courts, marched vigorously around the India Gate circle, shouting slogans and waving the tricolour, in presence of heavy police security. They were demanding action against those "indulging" in "anti-India" activities.
Some of the lawyers who were caught on camera leading brazen assaults on journalists and JNU students in Patiala House courts, on Monday and Wednesday were part of the protest and appeared to be unfazed by the outrage due to their acts.
Three lawyers have been summoned by Delhi Police in connection with the Monday attack but they are yet to appear before it. Members of ABVP, a RSS student wing, and Congress' student wing NSUI clashed during their protests over the JNU row outside Rajasthan University campus in Jaipur.
The groups of students clashed at the main gate of the University. They were holding their respective protests and demonstration on the JNU issue when the incident occurred, Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) K Rastradeep said.
Police later dispersed the protestors, the DCP said, adding no one was injured in the incident and the situation was normal now.
"We were protesting to demand that the main accused in the JNU incident should be arrested because there is no evidence against the JNU students union president Kanhaiya Kumar," NSUI leader Rakesh Meena said.
"We were also demanding action against BJP MLA Kailash Choudhary who made derogatory remarks against (Congress vice president) Rahul Gandhi when the ABVP activists clashed with us," Meena, who led the NSUI protest, said.
At least 52 activists of CPI and other Left wing organisations were taken into preventive custody when they tried to march towards Raj Bhavan in Hyderabad demanding Kumar's immediate and unconditional release, police said.
Similarly, police took 10 advocates (from two different groups) into preventive custody when they tried to gather in front of the Bar Council Office over the JNU row, on the premises of High Court of Judicature at Hyderabad for the states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, Assistant Commissioner of Police (Charminar Division) K Ashok Chakravarthy told PTI.
"Out of the ten advocates, who were taken into custody-- three of them are pro-Kanhaiya and remaining are anti- Kanhaiya," the ACP said, adding there is no permission either for holding procession or organising meeting on the High Court premises.
Several CPI and Left-wing activists led by Telangana state CPI secretary Chada Venkat Reddy raising slogans attempted to take out a rally towards Raj Bhavan but were prevented by police on Khairtabad cross itself and 52 of them were placed under preventive arrests, Saifabad Police Station Inspector K Poorna Chander said.
All those who were taken into preventive custody were later released.
Published 19 February 2016, 11:15 IST