New Delhi, Feb 17  The CPI-M on Wednesday demanded the exit of Delhi Police chief B.S. Bassi after a section of lawyers assaulted JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar at a court here.

The Communist Party of India-Marxist also blamed "RSS/BJP goons" for the attack on Kanhaiya Kumar, arrested for sedition, "under the very nose of the police".

"There appears to be a complete breakdown of any authority of the law enforcing force in the nation's capital and the subversion of judicial orders is done with impunity," a CPI-M statement said.

"The CPI-M strongly condemns the Delhi Police for not carrying out the directions of the Supreme Court to provide adequate security to Kanhaiya Kumar... 

"(Bassi) has brazenly justified such vandalism. He has no right to continue in office.

"This is nothing but a blatant attempt to subvert the process of delivery of justice in the country. Such strong arm tactics are reminiscent of highly authoritarian and fascistic tendencies," it said.

The Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union (JNUSU) president was under police custody since he was arrested for sedition on February 12, allegedly for raising anti-India slogans. He has denied the charge. On Wednesday, he was sent to judicial custody till March 2.

"These charges are baseless," the CPI-M said, adding that Kanhaiya Kumar must be immediately released and the charge of sedition against him and other students be dropped.

It also deplored the attack mounted by the RSS under the patronage of the BJP-led government against JNU.

It said Wednesday's "brutal physical attack is the second in a row on lawyers, media persons and JNU students and faculty members who were present in the court premises..." 

The statement accused the Modi government of trying to sharpen communal polarisation by rousing jingoism "on the basis of fabricated and preposterous charges against the progressive values of JNU".