Police question three for putting up saffron flags outside JNU

Delhi Police have bound down three persons for defacing public property outside the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus in the national capital on Friday, an official said.

In a case where a person is bound down, he/she is not booked under any legal provision but released subject to the condition that he/she will appear before the police for further probe.

The three members of 'Hindu Sena' -- a right wing organisation -- had put up saffron flags outside JNU, forcing the police to initiate legal action and remove the said flags from there.

"Three persons who were involved in the offence were bound down as per the legal procedure. The vehicle used in commission of offence has been seized," said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southwest), Manoj C.

Apart from saffron flags, some banners were also put up outside the campus that read 'Bhagwa JNU'.

Hindu Sena national vice-president, Surjit Yadav, said that 'saffron' was insulted by the 'anti-saffron' people in JNU.

"We respect each and every religion and every thought process. The Hindu Sena will not tolerate the way the saffron is being insulted in JNU," Yadav said.

Expressing similar sentiments, Hindu Sena President Vishnu Gupta confirmed with IANS about putting up saffron flags and banners outside JNU by his organisation.

"It is very wrong that saffron is being constantly insulted in JNU. Saffron is in India's culture. None should oppose it," Gupta said.

On Delhi Police removing the flags and banners, Gupta said the police should not be in such a hurry to take them down as the saffron is not a symbol of terror.

Notably, the university has again become a hotbed of politics after the April 10 violence on the campus in which as many as 16 students were injured during a scuffle that allegedly started over consumption of non-vegetarian food on the occasion of Ram Navami.