Chennai, Feb 20 (IANS): Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has condemned the attack on Tamil students allegedly by ABVP workers.

In a series of tweets, the Tamil Nadu chief minister said, "The cowardly attack on Tamil students by ABVP and vandalising the portraits of leaders like Periyar, Karl Marx at the JNU is highly condemnable and calls for strict action from the university administrator."

He also said that the securities of JNU and Delhi Police have time and again turned mute spectators to the violence unleashed on students who fight for their rights and are critical of the Union BJP regime.

The chief minister in another tweet said, "I express my solidarity with the students and request VC to initiate action against the culprits and protect students from Tamil Nadu."

Stalin also said that universities are not just spaces for learning but also for discussion, debate, and dissent.

It may be recalled that an alleged clash broke out on Sunday night between the students of JNU Students' Union (JNUSU) controlled by the Left and the ABVP. The JNU Students' Union complained that the ABVP cadres had attacked them while they were conducting a peaceful protest march in the campus which was denied by the ABVP.

The JNUSU said that the ABVP had destroyed the photographs of EVS Periyar and Karl Max while ABVP cadres said that the Left activists had removed a garland that was put on the photograph of Chhatrapati Shivaji to mark his birthday celebrations.