Mumbai.
JNU students’ union president Kanhaiya Kumar today alleged that a fellow passenger – who was a BJP supporter and an employee of IT firm Ttata Consultancy Services or TCS — tried to strangle him on a flight from Mumbai to Pune.
Both Kanhaiya Kumar and the man were deplaned at Mumbai and the police filed Mr Kumar’s complaint. The man, Manas Deka, was also detained.
The student leader, who was on his way to Pune to address an event in the city, tweeted:
Yet again, this time inside the aircraft, a man tries to strangulate me.
— Kanhaiya Kumar (@kanhaiyajnusu) April 24, 2016
After the incident @jetairways staff completely refuses to take any action against the man who assaulted me.
— Kanhaiya Kumar (@kanhaiyajnusu) April 24, 2016
Basically @jetairways sees no difference between someone who assaults nd d person who is assaulted. They will deplane you, if you complain.
— Kanhaiya Kumar (@kanhaiyajnusu) April 24, 2016
Manas Deka, works in TCS, a strong BJP supporter assaulted me inside the aircraft. Is assault the only tool you have, to fight dissent?
— Kanhaiya Kumar (@kanhaiyajnusu) April 24, 2016
Jet Airways later said some passengers were off loaded at Mumbai in the interest of “operational safety”. “At Jet Airways, the safety and security of our guests and crew is always of prime importance,” a communique from the airline read.
CPI has claimed that attempts have been made to attack Kanhaiya Kumar — who is associated with a group affiliated to party — earlier too. Last month, CPI secretary D Sudhakar said two men on bikes had tried to attack him while he was returning from the University of Hyderabad.
Attacks on Mr Kumar had started since his arrest in February on sedition charges for organising an event at Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University to mark the anniversary of the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, where anti-India slogans were raised.
While being produced at a Delhi court, he, along with a group of teachers from JNU, students and reporters, were attacked by a group of lawyers in the court premises.
