Shikhar Dhawan on JNU row: Can't speak ill of country you live in; flag should be unfurled at Universities

 

Speaking at a promotional event, the left-hander voiced his opinion in favor of unfurling the 'tiranga' at all 46 central universities.

"My take is simple. It (flag) should be unfurled at the Universities. It (flag) is the pride of the nation. The more the merrier I would say,” he said.

In wake of the recent issues at JNU, the Delhi lad said nobody should speak ill about the country they live in.

“Though you have touched upon a sensitive topic, one should never say anything ill about the country you live in," said the Asia Cup-bound batsman.

A resolution adopted at a meeting chaired by HRD Minister Smriti Irani on Thursday asked the central universities to fly the tricolor "prominently and proudly" on their campuses to signify a "strong India".

The first such flag will be hoisted at JNU.

JNU row: There should be no 'Taliban culture' in India, say ABVP leaders after resigning

 

"JNU is the most nationalist institution in the country. I do not support the government's stand over the issue. Let Supreme Court find Kanhaiya Kumar guilty and award him life imprisonment. But let the law take its course. There should be no 'Taliban culture' in India," said Pradeep Narwal, former Joint Secretary of JNU unit of ABVP.

Pradeep Narwal, Joint Secretary of JNU unit of ABVP, Rahul Yadav, President of ABVP unit of JNU's School of Social Sciences (SSS) and its Secretary Ankit Hans, had yesterday resigned from the BJP student wing, saying they "cannot be mouthpiece of such a government which has unleashed oppression on student community".

"We are going to fight for JNU. If law find Kanhaiya guilty, let him be punished. If Umar Khalid is guilty he should be jailed. But do not attack the entire university, students and teachers. Let there be space for voices of dissent," he added.

Ankit Hans, said, "We had ideological differences with the party over the issue so we decided to disassociate ourselves. We want to stand for the university as students and not political leaders of an outfit, whose stand is not acceptable to us".

While the ABVP senior leaders are claiming that the three students have been "influenced" to protest against the party and divert the whole issue, Hans said, "This is our individual decision. We have not done this under anybody's influence.

In a hard-hitting resignation letter, the trio had yesterday said, "We think there is a difference between interrogation and crushing ideology and branding entire left as anti-national. We cannot be mouthpiece of such a government which has unleashed oppression on student community."

"Every day we see people assemble at front gate with Indian Flag to beat JNU student, well this is hooliganism not nationalism, you can`t do anything in the name of nation, there is a difference between nationalism and hooliganism".

The three students, however, maintained that they will not join the ongoing strike by the students demanding release of JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar.

He was arrested on Friday last in connection with a case of sedition and criminal conspiracy registered over holding of the event at the varsity during which anti-India slogans were alleged to have been raised.

Members of the ABVP had objected to holding of the event following which Vice Chancellor had withdrawn the permission for it. However, the organisers had gone ahead with the event.

Police action in JNU campus was backed by VC Jagadesh Kumar?

 

As per media reports, the letter was allegedly written by the University Registrar to the Deputy Commissioner of Police, South District. The letter said, "VC grants to the police force permission to enter JNU campus if need be and as you may deem fit."

The letter, accessed by some leading media houses, proves the allegations that JNU V-C had actually granted permission to the city police to enter the campus on February 9 when student union leader Kanhaiya Kumar was arrested.

Meanwhile, the Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers Association today questioned Vice Chancellor over his permission to Delhi Police to carry out searches on the campus and arrest students and demanded withdrawal of the same.

"Your letter to the Delhi Police granting them unprecedented rights to conduct indiscriminate search and arrest of our wards is highly objectionable," JNUTA said in a letter to the Vice Chancellor.

"We urge you to kindly issue a letter clearly withdrawing this formal permission to the police and re-establish the credibility of our administration in the eyes of our community."

"Subversion of our own institutional mechanism for enquiries, based on the statutes of our university duly established by an Act of parliament, raises a number of questions about the legitimacy of the decision," the statement added.

Police raided the JNU campus on February 12 night and arrested JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar.

The controversy erupted after some JNU students organised a meet to mourn the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru and Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front co-founder Maqbool Bhat. Anti-India slogans were allegedly raised at the meeting.

The organisers, however, denied that the students raised any anti-national slogans.

The vice chancellor on Monday said police were not called in by the university.

"We did not call police. Police sent us a letter saying that an FIR had been lodged against some unnamed people on sedition charges and that they wanted our cooperation in investigating the incident. We only allowed them to enter as per the law to perform their duties," Jagadesh Kumar said.

 

JNU row: Amit Shah attacks Congress, accuses Rahul Gandhi of doing 'vote-bank' politics

"BJP condemns anti-national slogans that were raised few days back at JNU campus," he said. 

"SC had given capital punishment to Afzal Guru, despite that slogans were raised in support of him," he added.

"I want to ask Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi that if this is not anti-national then what is. I want to ask Congress and Rahul Gandhi if they support sedition in the name of freedom of expression," Shah asked.

"If Congress wants to support this in name of freedom of speech, want to ask them what is more big proof against anti-nationals?" Shah said.

He also demanded that Congress president Sonia Gandhi should make her stand clear.

Earlier today, in a scathing attack on Rahul over the JNU row, BJP chief had said that the Congress VP had "proved" that national interest had no place in his mind.

He had also asked if the Congress vice president had joined hands with separatist forces and wanted another division of India.

"An attempt was made to defame a leading university in the national capital by turning it into a centre which encourages terrorism and separatism. I want to ask Rahul Gandhi if it would be in national interest had the central government kept quiet? "Are you not encouraging traitors by protesting in support of these anti-nationals?", Shah wrote in a blog, as per PTI.

Noting that slogans like 'Pakistan zindabad', 'go India go back' and those in support of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, Kashmir's independence and India's destruction were raised in JNU, he wondered if the Congress leader had joined hands with separatists.

"Does he want another division of India by giving a free run to separatists in the name of freedom of expression? The kind of statements the Congress vice president and other leaders of his party have made in JNU have proved again that national interest has no place in their mind," Shah said.

He said Congress was in despair and frustrated over the success of the Modi government and its leaders were unable to decide how they can play the role of a responsible opposition.

Meanwhile, reacting to Shah, Congress leader Manish Twiari said, "Before shooting from the hip BJP president should clarify whether his party and NDA government support fake encounters and extra judicial killings?"

JNU row: Hafiz Saeed says Kashmiris expressed themselves; asks Rajnath to stop 'false propaganda'

 

“India has labelled allegations against me that Hafiz Saeed is involved in anti-India protests in JNU.

"After learning about it, I felt very strange because I have never posted any such tweet, and the tweeter account itself is fake,” Saeed said in the video.

“I have not tweeted nor I have tried to provoke the students on the Kashmir cause, because Kashmiris themselves have expressed themselves.

“Everyone knows how Afzal Guru was executed. A big injustice was done to him,” he said.

“I have never spoken about it. But it was made into a big issue in India. The Indian government wanted to portray that this fake account as my own and the tweet as real,” Saeed said.

“I am surprised and want to know what India thinks about the issue of Kashmiri's freedom. India is trying to mislead the world. Kashmir is for Kashmiris.

“People of Kashmir have faced a lot of atrocities and discrimination because of the presence of the Indian security forces.

“We shouldn't we focus on this. Why can't Kashmiris speak about their own freedom.

“And to say that Hafiz Saeed has said this and that is very wrong.

“Even in the case of Mumbai attacks, they have falsely implicated me . Our court has said that it is a media propaganda.

“India runs its government through propaganda. Now it is even cheating its own people.

“So I want to tell Rajnath and others responsible to change this attitude, listen to Kashmiris, don't try to de-track the issue by labelling false allegations against me.

“This method is absolutely wrong, don't make fun of the Kashmir cause... and accept the reality,” Jama'at-ud-Da'wah chief said in the video.

JNU row: PM Modi using police to terrorise everyone, alleges Arvind Kejriwal

His party, AAP, also attacked the Delhi Police accusing it of using "dictatorial" measures to "harass" JNU students and professors over the ongoing row in the varsity.

The party said the entire episode has brought the "anti-student" face of the BJP-led government.

"Modi ji wants to terrorize everyone by using police," Kejriwal said.

In a tweet, he said, "No anti-national activity shud be tolerated under any circumstances. Those who did it must be identified and punished".

He said no one supports anti-national forces. "But targeting innocent students using that as an excuse will prove very costly to Modi government."

AAP also alleged that BJP's student wing ABVP was involved in the "conspiracy".

The party demanded action against those who raised 'Pakistan Zindabad' and other 'anti-India' slogans, but claimed that the incident was being used to target students and professors.

"AAP condemns the way Delhi Police is using dictatorial measures to harass students and professors of the JNU. During the entire episode some facts have come to the light that ABVP is behind this conspiracy.

"It was FTII first and then it was Rohith Vemula and now it is JNU. This has brought anti-students face of this government. Modi ji should stop oppression of students," the party said.

AAP leader Ashutosh targeted the Centre saying the Modi government was using JNU crisis as a pretext to distract people from the real issues of economy.

A group of JNU students organized an event on the campus on Tuesday, on the anniversary of execution of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, and shouted slogans against his hanging, despite the varsity administration having cancelled the permission following a complaint by ABVP members, who termed the activity as "anti-national".

Following which, JNU students union president Kanhaiya Kumar was arrested yesterday on sedition charges.