JNUSU prez Kanhaiya Kumar sent to 3-day police custody over Afzal Guru row, says being targeted for defeating ABVP in polls

New Delhi: As the Patiala court here on Friday sent him to three days police custody, the JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar said that he is being targeted for defeating ABVP in Student Union elections.

“I wasn't part of the Afzal Guru meet; I intervened only after clashes broke out between ABVP and protesters,” Kumar told reporters here.

He also claimed that the JNU Students' Union was not responsible for organising the anti-India protests.

Further denying the sedition charges, Kumar said, “This is an excuse, I defeated ABVP in Student Union elections that is why this is happening.”

"This is false, I did not raise any slogan. They don't have any evidence," ANI quoted him as saying.

The president of Jawaharlal Nehru University's students union was today arrested in a case of sedition and criminal conspiracy.

Kanhaiya Kumar was arrested for raising anti-India slogans at an event organised by the students to commemorate the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, who was hanged in Tihar Jail in 2014.

He was arrested by the Vasant Kunj north police in south Delhi.

Yesterday, BJP MP from East Delhi Mahensh Giri had filed an FIR against the students involved in eulogizing Parliament Attack convict Afzal Guru.

Police later took suo-moto cognizance and registered an FIR against unknown students.

The university witnessed violent clashes between two students groups on Tuesday night over an event after which police were deployed to maintain law and order.

The students from a Left wing organisation were to hold an event marking the death anniversary of Guru in which anti-India slogans were raised.

Another commemorative meeting was held at the Press Club of India in Delhi on Wednesday where anti-India slogans and placards were raised.

Meanwhile, the JNU students union condemned the arrest of its president Kanhaiya Kumar saying the students are being "witch-hunted" and police is targeting them mindlessly.

However, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has demanded strict action against the students involved in the commemoration event of 2001 Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru.