Clashes as PM speaks at JNU

Brawls erupted as groups of students opposing "neo-liberalism" and government’s Iran policy on Monday held out black banners when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh began his address at Delhi's premier Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).

Singh’s speech, drowned out by "go-back" shouts, was the first-ever by a Prime Minister at the JNU.

Trouble began the moment organisers commemorating the birth anniversary of Jawaharlal Nehru, requested Singh to speak after he unveiled a nine-foot statue of India's first Prime Minister.

Police rushed to the spectators’ gallery as suspected activists of the radical left All India Students’ Association (AISA) protested during the PM’s speech.

The Prime Minister, however, read out his 10 minute speech amid shouting, recalling Nehru's vision and setting out an agenda for liberal academic access to all. Protests continued till he left shortly after his speech.

Police tried to control the students protesting the government's stand on Iran and its "neo liberal" policies as fisticuffs broke out between activists of the Congress-backed NSUI and the AISA.

A JNU student leader's appeal for calm also went unheeded as the Prime Minister stood silently at the dais for minutes awaiting order to be restored before beginning his address.

The protest by supporters of the AISA and the Democratic Students’ Union defied a decision of the JNU Students' Union not to disrupt the Prime Minister's speech, its joint secretary Arani Sinha said.

"We do have our differences with government over which we have also submitted a memorandum with the Prime Minister, but we decided not to disrupt Singh’s speech," she said.

The protest was an embarrassment for the security staff as student activists spread out a black banner as soon as the Prime Minister stood up to speak.

A paradox of sorts also emerged as Singh spoke about freedom of expression while students belonging to different groupings engaged in a free-for-all right in front of him.