Rahul Gandhi, other leaders visit JNU; student protest continues

It featured an exhibition and a protest march against the “judicial killing of Afzal Guru and Maqbool Bhatt”, and in solidarity with “struggle of Kashmiri people for their democratic right to self-determination” at the varsity’s Sabarmati dhaba.

Amid raging row over an event in JNU where anti-India slogans were alleged to have been raised, noted actor Anupam Kher said freedom of speech does not mean people have the right to create disunity in the country.

Hours after Singh and Human Resource and Development Minister Smriti Irani denounced the raising of alleged anti-India slogans in the JNU, the Delhi Police had yesterday arrested the Kanhaiya Kumar, on charges of sedition and criminal conspiracy. He was later remanded to three-days police custody on Friday.

Kumar denied that he shouted anti-India slogans. “No question arises of pardoning them”, the 60-year-old actor said.

Delhi Police took suo moto cognizance and registered an FIR, although separate complaints were already filed against the organisers of Tuesday’s event, which included some former members of a Left-leaning student association.

JNU Students Union’s President slammed the ruling government and its tactics to silent dissent in a fiery address on the campus.

The university campus has witnessed events in support of Guru in the past as well. A youngster there expressed himself and the government says he is an anti-national.

“We briefed him about the situation on the campus during the meeting”. “What is happening in JNU?” But it was not Kanhaiya who did it. In fact, soon after the event started, some students started shouting slogans like ‘ Kashmir ki azaadi tak, Bharat ki barbadi tak, jang rahegi jari’.

The delegation included CPI-M general secretary Sitaram Yechury, CPI national secretary D. Raja and Janata Dal-United secretary general K.C. Tyagi. The uproar following the event and the subsequent arrest of the student leader has turned JNU into a platform for political mudslinging.

The BJP “welcomed” the arrest of the JNUSU President. “Detention of JNU Student’s Union president and slapping of sedition against him is completely a grave injustice with him and this injustice can not be tolerated in any way”, he added.

Left leaders are questioning the authenticity of a video clip which purportedly shows anti-national slogans raised by a group of persons on JNU.

The union, however, condemned “in the strongest possible words the high-handed police action”.

But the organisers went ahead with the programme despite the cancellation of the permission and held a cultural programme, art and photo exhibition on the issue rather than a protest.

Students of the ABVP are believed to have waved black flags at the Congress leader.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh who looked into the matter said that those who tamper India’s unity and integrity will not be spared.