Staying Neutral Not an Option: Varun, Sonakshi on JNU Violence

A masked mob entered JNU and attacked students and teachers on the night of 5 January.

Actors Varun Dhawan and Sonakshi Sinha.

(Photo: Yogen Shah)

Varun Dhawan has condemned the violence that broke out at Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on the night of 5 January. Speaking to the media at an event in Madhya Pradesh the actor said,

“I think we cannot stay neutral on such issues. You have to condemn such attacks. It is dangerous and sad if masked people enter an educational institution and all this (assault, vandalism) happens.”

Varun Dhawan, Actor

“But the police will investigate it. As an Indian, I have full faith in the police and judiciary. I hope those involved in this incident get severe punishment as soon as possible,” he said. “It is easy to sit here and say whether this or that man is wrong.”

A masked mob entered the campus on Sunday night armed sticks and rods and attacked students and teachers and damaged property, prompting the administration to call in the police. At least 28 people, including JNU Students’ Union president Aishe Ghosh, were injured as chaos reigned on the campus for nearly two hours.

While celebrities such as Anurag Kashyap, Swara Bhasker, Zeeshan Ayyub and Richa Chadha have been vocal about their criticism of the government and the Citizenship Amendment Act, Varun claimed he wasn’t aware of what members of the film fraternity were saying on social media. “I am not going to get into what people are saying on Twitter on this issue. I have been promoting my film for the past three days and have not read statements of these people,” he said.

Sonakshi Sinha also spoke out tweeting that celebs “can’t sit on the fence any longer”. She also praised Deepika Padukone for showing her solidarity with JNU by joining in protests at the university on 7 January. “No matter which political party you support, do u support violence?Don't visuals of bleeding students and teachers shake you up?We can't sit on the fence any longer.Kudos to @deepikapadukone for showing up, and all those who spoke for speaking up. This is not the time to stay quiet.” she wrote.

Kartik Aaryan has also condemned the attacks saying that that it was important for citizens to stand up against the violence that India is witnessing amidst protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act. He also praised Deepika’s show of solidarity.

“Violence is awful. I can’t believe what is happening in our country. I respect what Deepika Padukone did yesterday. Strict actions are needed when things like this happen. This should not be happening in India. I saw videos of how they (the mob) entered the campus and I think this is very wrong. Action must be taken against them and it is very important to talk about such things,” he told Bollywood Hungama. “No one should be afraid of anything. I think more that anything as a citizen we must stand up and speak out about it (JNU violence) and that’s what’s happening now.”

(With inputs from PTI)