'JNU students subjected to cowardly but planned attack'

NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Monday said JNU students were subjected to a "cowardly and planned attack", adding that use of violence to suppress democratic values won't succeed.

Pawar's remarks came as his party minister Jitendra Awhad joined the students protesting the violence, at the Gateway of India here.

"JNU students and professors were subjected to a cowardly but planned attack. I strongly condemn this undemocratic act of vandalism and violence. Use of violent means to suppress democratic values and thought will never succeed," Pawar tweeted.

Violence broke out in JNU on Sunday night as masked men armed with sticks and rods attacked students and teachers and damaged property on the campus, prompting the administration to call in police which conducted a flag march.

At least 28 people, including JNU Students' Union (JNUSU) president Aishe Ghosh, were injured as chaos reigned on the campus for nearly two hours.

Eyewitnesses alleged that the attackers entered the premises when a meeting was being held by JNU Teachers' Association over the issue of violence on the campus, and assaulted students and professors. They also barged into three hostels.

Video footage aired by some TV channels showed a group of men, who were brandishing hockey sticks and rods, moving around a building.

The Left-controlled JNUSU and the RSS-backed Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) blamed each other for the incident.