JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar. (File Photo: IANS)
New Delhi, March 10 (IANS) Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union (JNUSU) President Kanhaiya Kumar was on Thursday roughed up by a man on the university campus who allegedly wanted to teach him a lesson for raising "anti-india slogans".
The person, identified as Vikas Chaudhury, tried to attack Kumar at 6.30 p.m. in front of the university administrative block where an open lecture was going on by Supreme Court advocate Nandita Haksar.
Chaudhury grabbed Kumar's T-shirt and tried to hit him but security personnel intervened in time, a witnesses said. The man was later escorted off the campus by the security personnel.
Kanhaiya Kumar later said that the attack on him cannot intimidate him.
"You can hurt me, you can silence me but you cannot scare me... If you will try to hurt me then remember Rohith Vemula. You killed one Rohith and so many have stood up, now if you will hurt someone else then imagine how many will stand up (against you)," Kumar said while addressing the students.
Kumar, who was also attacked on February 15 by a group lawyers in Patiala House Court, told students that such attacks were pre-planned.
"It is not important what you write against me. It is not important that today you slapped me tomorrow you may stab me with knife. For us, the people of JNU, our own lives have never been important. We always think of nation and its future," Kumar said.
"They are doing such activities very cleverly and carefully. First they priced my tongue and tried to provoke me so that I can retaliate. But I didn't say anything... Then they priced my neck for Rs.11 lakh, I didn't say anything then also... But now you've attacked our home (JNU). It's an attack on university, its tradition and what it stands for," Kumar said.
The man, while being escorted out, said he wanted to teach Kanhaiya a lesson for insulting the nation and for raising anti-India slogans.
Bharatiya Janata Party youth wing leader Kuldeep Varshney on March 5 had announced a reward of Rs.5 lakh for cutting off Kumar's tongue. He was later expelled from the primary membership of the party for six years.
Kanhaiya, who is facing sedition charges for participating in a JNU event held to commemorate the death anniversary of terrorist Afzal Guru, was recently released on six-month interim bail.
