We Attacked JNU, Claims Hindu Raksha Dal; Twitterati Not Convinced

A day after armed and masked miscreants wreaked havoc in the Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi on Sunday, 5 January, a video showing one Bhupendra Tomar aka Pinky Bhaiyya taking responsibility for the attack on JNU students, has gone viral on social media.

Tomar claims to be the president of the Hindu Raksha Dal, a right-wing outfit.

Identifying himself as Pinky Chaudhary, he repeated the same claims to news agency ANI. “JNU is a hotbed of anti-national activities, we can't tolerate this. We take full responsibility of the attack in JNU and would like to say that they were our workers,” he said.

This comes in the midst of several news reports investigating the role of WhatsApp groups run by ABVP members, in planning and executing the rampage in the university. Quoting ‘governemnt souces’, ANI also reported that the Delhi Police had taken cognisance of the claims and was analysing video footage and using face recognition software to identify the “masked men in JNU”.

Hindu Raksha Dal takes responsibility of #JNU attack and says will keep doing such attacks in the future. #JNUViolence pic.twitter.com/lJgE3S2FHa

— Shivangi Thakur (@thakur_shivangi) January 6, 2020

In a two-minute-long video, Tomar can be repeatedly seen saying it was members of the Hindu Raksha Dal who were responsible for the violence against students. He also vowed to mete out the same treatment to those who dared to take part in “anti-national” or “anti-Hindu” activities in the future.

Calling JNU an ‘adda for communists’, Tomar added the outfit was fully responsible for the violence in JNU, further saying its members were ready to “lay down their lives in service of ‘Bharat Mata.’” In 2014, Tomar is believed to have reportedly led protests and vandalization of the AAP office in Ghaziabad and surrendered to cops for the same.

In a tirade against the JNU students, Tomar alleged that such students receive education in the country’s institutions and yet, participate in activities that go against the country.

“We (Hindu Raksha Dal) won’t be able to tolerate such activities. Such people live in our country, eat our food, and get educated in our institutions. What do they want? Such activities will not be tolerated by us. If more anti-national activities take place in our country, they would receive the same answer they got last evening,” Tomar said.

He went on to say those who were willing to fight against ‘Bharat Mata’, did not deserve to live in India.

“We take responsibility for JNU violence, they were our people. And those who can’t serve Mother India, they have no right to live here. We are ready to serve ‘Bharat Mata’ at any time, and even sacrifice our lives for it. We will not spare those who speak against our religion,” he added.

Why No Arrests? Twitterati Ask Delhi Police

Twitter users took to the social networking platform to express concern about Tomar’s ‘confession’, with many urging the Delhi Police to take action against him. Terming Tomar a gunda (thug), senior lawyer Prashant Bhusham asked why the Delhi Police had not arrested him yet.

This gunda from the Hindu Rashtra Dal proudly claims that he was behind the brutal attack by masked goons on JNU students & teachers. Yet @DelhiPolice does not arrest him. Is anyone still in doubt of who were the attackers & their patrons in Police & govt? https://t.co/BhYbeijG10

— Prashant Bhushan (@pbhushan1) January 7, 2020

So Hindu Rashtra Dal has stepped up and taken responsibility for the attack inside JNU to shield ABVP terrorists.

So it's either ABVP or Hindu Rashtra Dal. STOP ACCUSING THOSE WHO WERE BEATEN UP YOU A**HOLES.

— Comred V (@ivivek_nambiar) January 7, 2020

Look the name HINDU raksha dal, they are openly admitting to cowardly attacking students inside a university and warn of further attacks, what do we call this? CC : @AIIndia @amnesty @cnni @AJEnglish @BBCWorld

— Azar (@isolatedtweets) January 6, 2020

@DelhiPolice please take action against this man in video. He is taking full responsibility of the JNU terror attack on student.@dhruv_rathee @Nehr_who @rssurjewala @BhavikaKapoor5 @The_veenaD @khanumarfa @RubikaLiyaquat @SushantBSinha @ArvindKejriwal @manakgupta @_sabanaqvi

— Narangi Mota bhai (Awara hoon..) (@Narendr99710026) January 7, 2020

So finally terrorist's act in JNU claimed by HRD the terror funding organization of BJP/RSS who mobilized the terror group's ABVP for JNU attacks.#ABVP_TERRORISTS#ShameOnModi_Shah

— Secular Hindustani (@Hindustanee2) January 6, 2020

cc @DelhiPolice

Ab ABVP, Hindu Rashtra Dal links have been proved. Hope arrests will be made soon.

Thanks. https://t.co/SbocjFjDub

— Comred V (@ivivek_nambiar) January 7, 2020

Many users believed that it was a mere ploy to keep the real perpetrators out of the picture.

This is a desperate face saving exercise by @abvpjnu whose members have been caught on video vandalizing property and beating up students. They've now chosen to hide behind this fringe outfit. Cowards.

— Madhumita Mazumdar (@mmazumdar2014) January 6, 2020

Planted to save main culprits

— Lalu Prasad Yadav (Parody) (@ModiLeDubega) January 6, 2020

He's a nobody who has been pushed forward so the ABVP's infiltration of the DU faculty isn't exposed. Many faculty members in DU and its affiliated colleges are absolutely fanatical sanghis.

— Shaantanu Singh (@singh_shaantanu) January 6, 2020

(With inputs from India Today)