‘Alliance of tukde-tukde gang…’: Giriraj Singh over graffiti on JNU walls

Students had earlier claimed that the walls in the School of International Studies- II building were vandalised with slogans against Brahmin and Baniya communities.

A day after several walls in the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) were defaced with anti-Brahmin slogans, Union minister Giriraj Singh on Friday alleged that the so-called “tukde tukde gang” was doing their utmost to divide the country, news agency ANI reported.

Walls of JNU defaced with anti-Brahmin slogans in New Delhi. (PTI)

“JNU was becoming a centre for political parties that run the 'tukde-tukde' gang. Today, an alliance of this 'tukde-tukde' gang and 'Ghazwa-e-Hind' is running in the country, trying to break the nation. They will not be successful in India,” ANI quoted Singh as saying.

"Tukde-Tukde" is a term often used by right-wing parties to attack the opposition, particularly Left and Left-backed outfits as well as those who support them.

The teacher and student bodies urged the varsity administration to conduct a "free and fair enquiry" to ensure peace on the campus.

Students had earlier claimed that the walls in the School of International Studies- II building were vandalised with slogans against Brahmin and Baniya communities.

The graffiti asked members of the Brahmin and the Baniya communities to leave the campus and the country.

In a statement, the JNU teachers association said it is distressing to hear about such acts of vandalism.

"The JNUTA condemns in the strongest possible terms this extremely reprehensible act, which is not only traumatic for the faculty concerned but it violates the spirit of diversity and tolerance of all views that is the core ethos of JNU," the statement read.

The JNUTA asked the university administration to immediately launch an probe into the incident, identify the culprits, and proceed against them by university rules.

The JNU students' union claimed that this was not the first time that these acts have been committed in JNU.

"Such statements are clearly meant to disturb the normalcy of the campus by vitiating the campus environment. This is not the first time that such vandalism has occurred within the university. Several instances have happened during previous years," the JNUSU said in the statement.

To be vigilant: Vice-chancellor

Vice-chancellor Santishree D Pandit asked students and staff members to be vigilant so that such incidents can be prevented in the future.

In a statement, JNU registrar Ravikesh said V-C Pandit visited the centres on Friday and took stock of the situation.

She interacted with the students, staff and faculty members and asked them to be vigilant so that such incidents are prevented in future, the statement said.

All JNU centres asked to install CCTV cameras

The JNU asked all its centres to install CCTV cameras. In an advisory, the JNU administration said it has notified that all schools and centres will have only a single entry and exit point.

(With inputs from ANI, PTI)