Politicians and Bollywood celebs condemned violence at JNU. (AFP)
The attack on Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University has drawn condemnation from political leaders and celebrities. The entire nation watched in horror as a masked mob attacked students and teachers at one of India's most prestigious universities on Sunday. Armed with iron rods, sledgehammers and bottles, the group overran the campus, going from hostel to hostel attacking people.
Actors Swara Bhasker, Shabana Azmi, Rajkumar Rao, Richa Chadha and filmmakers Anurag Kashyap and Zoya Akhtar condemned the "beyond shocking" violence at the university. Swara Bhasker even made a tearful Twitter appeal for end to violence at the campus.
Veteran actor Anil Kapoor said he was so disturbed by the violence that he could not sleep the entire night. "It (the violence) has to be condemned. It was quite sad, shocking, what I saw. It was very disturbing. I couldn't sleep the entire night thinking what has happened," news agency PTI quoted Mr Kapoor as saying at an event in Mumbai.
"Nothing will come out of violence. Whoever did this should be punished absolutely," Mr Kapoor added.
Around 35 students and teachers were injured in Sunday's violence including the chief of the JNU students' union Aishe Ghosh. "I have been brutally attacked by goons wearing masks. I have been bleeding. I was brutally beaten up," she told reporters with blood streaming from her face.
Eyewitnesses said the 50-odd goons entered the campus on Sunday evening. The JNU students' union tweeted that the attackers were "unknown ABVP goons" and were even beating up professors trying to shied students.
JNU students have blamed the ABVP, a student group linked to the BJP, for the attack. The ABVP and many BJP leaders have, on the other hand, accused Left-leaning students of the violence.
(With Inputs From PTI)