Shoe hurled at Kanhaiya

A shoe was hurled at JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar as he was about to address a seminar in Hyderabad on Wednesday. The seminar on ‘Constitutional Rights’ was organised at Sundrayya Vignana Kendram at Baghlingampally in Hyderabad, a building run by Left parties.

Speaking at the event, Kumar vowed that he would keep up his fight against casteism, and economic inequalities but ruled out him campaigning in the coming Assembly polls. “Today, whoever it is, be it Marxists, Ambedkarites, Socialists, Lohiaites or Centrists, today all types of people are under attack. Because, democracy is coming under attack today,” he said.

Kumar later flew down to Vijayawada from Hyderabad and was driven to the city amid tight police security.

But, tension prevailed at the Vijayawada venue of his meeting, as workers of the BJP and Left parties virtually clashed over the conduct of the event. The United Forum of Students Unions had organised the meeting.

Workers of BJP and its affiliate organisations reached the function hall ahead of Kumar’s arrival and started raising slogans against him. "Kanhaiya go back," they shouted.

The Hyderabad Central University had witnessed violence after Vice-Chancellor Appa Rao Podile took charge two days ago. But, the situation was peaceful on Thursday. The non-teaching staff, who had gone on a strike protesting vandalisation of VC's lodge on March 22 allegedly by a group of students, resumed duty.

Heated arguments were witnessed between the groups. A heavy presence of police prevented a clash.