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Members of the ABVP had objected to holding of the event following which Vice Chancellor had withdrawn the permission for it.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.

JNU row: Amit Shah, Rahul Gandhi trade charges, students boycot classes

Police, meanwhile, claimed the student leader charged with sedition had raised anti-India slogans.

On their part, the JNU students stepped up their agitation by boycotting classes demanding unconditional release of students union president Kanhaiya Kumar. The teachers association of the premier institute has rallied behind the agitating students but have not struck work.

In a related incident, at least six persons, including students and mediapersons, were thrashed by a group of men in lawyer's robes within and outside Patiala House courts during the hearing of the sedition case against Kanhaiya. A BJP MLA, present there for a different case, allegedly roughed up a CPI activist.

Amid the raging row, Delhi Police Commissioner B S Bassi, after a meeting with Home Minister Rajnath Singh, said Kanhaiya had raised anti-national slogans during a controversial event on JNU campus but admitted police have so far found "no evidence linking the LeT" to the incident.

Singh had yesterday claimed the event at JNU to protest the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru had received "support" from LeT founder Hafiz Saeed.

Speaking on the the raging controversy for the first time, Shah targeted Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi alleging he was supporting "anti-nationals" and wondered whether he wanted another "division" of India.

Posing a slew of questions to Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Rahul, Shah also demanded that he apologise for his stand on the JNU issue. Rahul had visited JNU on Saturday and extended support to the students' cause.

"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.

Addressing a party meeting in Assam's Sonitpur district, Rahul returned fire saying BJP wanted to control everyone's views. "The BJP and RSS are following an agenda of creating divide and hatred, as can be seen from the recent developments in JNU, by imposing their views forcibly on people."

Kanhaiya was arrested on Friday 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.

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: 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.

Rahul Gandhi speaking in Hafiz Sayeed's language on JNU row: BJP

BJP claimed the "anti-India" march on JNU campus by a handful of people had invited country-wide condemnation but Congress and other opposition parties were targeting the Modi government due to their "political malice" and vote bank politics.

"Rahul Gandhi and his friends are speaking in the voice LeT terrorist Hafiz Sayeed who had tweeted in support of anti-India event in JNU. It is an insult to our martyrs and armed forces who sacrifice their lives on the border and will boost the morale of anti-national forces.

"JNU has produced many intellectuals and bureaucrats. A handful of people there have given anti-India speeches. Law is taking its course. BJP will urge Congress to not insult our martyrs for political reason," BJP national secretary Shrikant Sharma said.

Referring to the recent deaths of army personnel, he said it was unfortunate that while soldiers sacrificed their lives on the border, anti-India slogans were raised and terrorists hailed as martyrs in an institution like JNU.

Reacting to the arrest of the student leader over the controversial JNU event, Gandhi had said, "Modi Govt and & ABVP bullying an institution like JNU simply because it won't toe their line is completely condemnable."

"While Anti-India sentiment is unquestionably unacceptable, the right to dissent & debate is an essential ingredient of democracy," the Congress leader had said.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in a tweet had said, "No one supports anti-national forces. But targeting innocent students using that as an excuse will prove very costly to Modi government".

BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said efforts to give "ideological cover" to violence and anti-India activities cannot be allowed.

"The way foul language was used against the Prime Minister...A group of students is trying to damage the dignity of an institution like JNU in the name of cultural agitation," he said.

Against the backdrop of claims made by Pakistani-American terrorist David Headley on Ishrat Jahan, Trivedi slammed the JD(U) for joining opposition parties in raising the JNU issue, saying it had termed her as the "daughter of Bihar".

"At a time when Bihar is being criminalised, JD(U) is joining others on the JNU issue...We won't allow any atrocity on students but at the same time we can't let go anti-nationals," he said.

Sharma accusing Congress of doing politics over terrorism and said the recent comment of a top former IB officer had "exposed" the opposition party. "Even in 26/11 terror attack in Mumbai, Congress had alluded to the involvement of RSS," Sharma said.