Delhi Police Disperse JNU Protest, Detain Missing Student's Mother

New Delhi: The national capital that has been witnessing a series of agitations in the past few days was scene to another round of protests and detention on Sunday as cops forcibly dispersed a march by students of JNU against the disappearance of their colleague Najeeb Ahmed.

“I am not in a position to say anything... These people instead of looking for my brother are putting us in jail. I am in the Mandir Marg Police Station right now. The way the policemen were talking to me was uncivilized. Is that how you talk to a woman? They dragged and put me on the bus," Najeeb’s sister told CNN-News18.

“I want to ask Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi -- why is he so scared of students," Kejriwal told reporters. He said that if even half of the policemen deployed on Sunday were used to trace Najeeb, he would have been found by now.

In his letter to President Pranab Mukherjee, Kejriwal said, “The fact that Delhi police have not been able to trace the whereabouts of Najeeb raises serious concerns about the law and order situation in the national capital" adding “since ABVP students are involved there is a general perception that the Delhi police are not acting effectively."

The chief minister also wrote to the President about the 'problematic' role played by the Vice Chancellor of JNU, “He has acted in a completely partisan manner by not acting against the ABVP activists who are behind the attack on Najeeb before his subsequent disappearance."

Incidentally, just a few days ago, it was Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal who while addressing a solidarity meeting for the missing student Najeeb Ahmed, had asked students to move their protest outside of the JNU campus to India Gate, the heart of Lutyens' Delhi

Delhi Police later issued a statement saying they had requested JNU students union in writing not to assemble near India Gate as prohibitory orders u/s 144 CRPC was in force. “NSUI, CYSS and others also joined the call. They were advised to assemble at Jantar Mantar. But in various groups they started assembling around India Gate despite the advisory. Delhi Police at various locations stopped the protesters, dissuaded them to move towards India Gate and were taken to police stations," the statement said.

Najeeb's sister Sadaf, mother Fatima and all other detainees were released late in the evening. Also Read: Police to Share Video of Missing JNU Student on Twitter, News Channel

“No one has been manhandled. A group of JNU students, along with Najeeb’s mother, started assembling near ASI. They were persuaded not to move towards India Gate. They didn’t agree and were adamant to move ahead," said the statement issued by Delhi police.

AAP spokesperson Ashutosh criticised the treatment meted out to sister and mother of Najeeb. “This is really shameful if a mother is being beaten up and dragged. Instead of searching for her kid, police are torturing the mother," Ashutosh said.

Delhi police have reportedly put up close to 20,000 posters in and outside Delhi and more than 150 police personnel are said to be deployed to trace the whereabouts of Najeeb who disappeared after a scuffle with ABVP activists inside the JNU campus.

JNU Students Union General Secretary Satarupa Chakraborty, meanwhile, said they were protesting as no effective action had been taken to find the student who has been missing since October 15.

“The students who beat up Najeeb were called for interrogation only on Saturday. This is too little, too late," Chakraborty said.