Large sections of Bollywood, including director Zoya Akhtar, actors Anil Kapoor and Alia Bhatt on Monday described the Sunday night violence at the Jawaharlal Nehru University as "disturbing" and "shocking", and demanded that the perpetrators be brought to justice.
Zoya, Anil and Alia were forthcoming in their reaction to the violence that broke out at the JNU in which masked men, armed with sticks and rods, attacked students and teachers and damaged property on the campus, prompting the administration to call the police.
At least 34 people, including JNU Students' Union president Aishe Ghosh, were injured as chaos reigned on the campus for nearly two hours.
It was a sleepless night for Anil who said he was shocked after watching the disturbing visuals of the attack.
"It has to be condemned. It was quite sad, shocking, what I saw. It was very disturbing. I couldn't sleep the entire night, thinking what has happened. It has to be condemned. Nothing will come out of violence. Whoever did this, they should be published absolutely," the veteran actor told reporters at the trailer launch of "Malang" in Mumbai.
Alia said it was time to "stop pretending" and "strongly oppose any ideology that seeks to divide, oppress and promote violence".
"When students, teachers and peaceful civilians become victims of physical assault on an ongoing basis, it's time to stop pretending that all is fine.
"We must look truth in the eye and acknowledge that we are a house at war with itself. We, the people of this country no matter how diff our ideologies, must find a human solution to all of our complex problems, and reinforce the peaceful and inclusive ideals upon which this country was built," the actor posted on Instagram Stories.
"Are you still on the fence? Apolitical? In need of more information? If yes, then you either are a bigot, a coward or a dumbf***. I'm a liberal so you get to choose," Zoya wrote on her Instagram Stories.
"Shocking disgusting and cowardly. Have the b**** to at least show your face when you want to attack innocents," actor Sonam Kapoor Ahuja wrote on Twitter.
Actor Aditya Roy Kapur, who was speaking at "Malang" trailer launch, said "the perpetrators have to be brought to task."
Director Anurag Kashyap, who has been posting videos of what went inside the JNU campus, wrote, "Hindutva terrorism is now totally out there. #JNUSU."
She later tweeted, "My mom is safe. JNU is peaceful for now & the gates are open! Eternal gratitude to the citizen protestors of Delhi who showed up at JNU main gate earlier tonight- you saved JNU! Thanks to the media and reporters who risked their own safety & showed us what terror was unleashed today."
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