JNU students' leader on police remand

Tension continued in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) with the arrest of JNU Students’ Union (JNUSU) president Kanhaiya Kumar on Friday in connection with a case of sedition and criminal conspiracy over holding an event at the university on February 9 to commemorate hanging of Parliament attack case convict Afzal Guru.

Kumar was later remanded in three-day police custody by a city court.

And as the Delhi Police launched a manhunt to nab other accused — Omar Khalid, Anant Prakash, Rama Naga, Ashutosh and Anirban — the JNU administration while ordering a “high-level enquiry” into the incident has debarred eight students from academic activities with immediate

effect during the pendency of the enquiry.

JNU Registrar Professor Bupinder Zutshi said names of the students have been withheld as of now and letters would be sent to them

on Saturday.

The debarred students will be permitted to represent their side of the story during the investigation. Also, they have been allowed to stay in their respective hostels as a guest, the JNU public relations officer Poonam Kudaisya said.

Kumar’s arrest evoked strong reaction from the Left groups, including AISA, and criticism from non-BJP parties which dubbed it as an “emergency-like” situation. Students gathered outside the administration building of JNU demanding intervention from the Vice-Chancellor. 

The JNU Teachers’ Association also condemned the arrest of Kumar as an action “uncalled for”. “This could be a disciplinary issue but how can it be a case of sedition? The action against the students is uncalled for. The way students are being randomly picked up from the campus is very unfortunate at a

university which is widely known for its democratic ethos,” said Vikramaditya, Secretary, JNUTA.

While Union Ministers Smriti Irani and Rajnath Singh advocated strong action against those who were involved in the alleged “anti-India” act, the Left groups continued their protests on the campus for the third day. Some students said their parents are asking them to quit the university in view of the “vitiating atmosphere” at JNU.

Countering the claims of the Left groups, the ABVP marched from India Gate to Rajpath raising slogans against the “anti- nationals”. They held placards which read, “Ghar Ghar mein ghus ke maare gey, jis ghar say Afzal niklega (We will enter each home and kill any person who tries to personify Afzal.)”

“They are studying on the India’s tax payer’s money and yet do anti-India activities. We demand that the JNU administration must rusticate the students and Government must take stringent action against those who took part in

anti-India rally on the campus,” said ABVP Delhi State Secretary Saket Bahuguna. 

Newly appointed JNU Vice Chancellor Jagadesh Kumar said, “While the JNU community upholds the right to free debate on campus, the university strongly condemns its use as a platform for activities that violate the Constitution and the laws of the land. However, there could be aberrations where fringe sections misuse the freedom provided.”

Adding that the university took serious note of the incidents, he said that a high-level enquiry committee has been constituted to investigate the matter. “The committee will take appropriate action as necessary.”

Also, the VC appealed the students to go beyond this incident and help the campus return to “normalcy”.”While the problem would be appropriately addressed in this case, the university would also take steps to protect the academic atmosphere and the environment for vibrant discussion that JNU has always provided and stands for,” he said.

Vice President of JNUSU, Shehla Rashid Shora said the students were being “witch hunted” by police.

 “Police are mindlessly patrolling the campus and the students are being witch-hunted and demonised for doing nothing. What is the proof that Kanhaiya was there among those raising anti-India slogans? Has he been spotted in any picture or video? Why are all JNU students being given ‘anti-national’ certificates,” said Shora.

Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi said “some objectionable things” were said during the event held in JNU campus and an FIR was registered in this connection. “Whosoever breaks the law will come under the purview of criminal law. During that day’s sloganeering, some objectionable things were said. Those were transgression of the Indian Penal Code, for which we registered an FIR,” the police chief added.

Reacting to Pakistan’s terrorist Hafiz Muhammad Saeed tweet requesting Pakistanis to trend #supportJNU, the Delhi Police and other State police forces issued an alert.

They tweeted, “This is to alert and sensitise student community  community in JNU and across the country. Do not get carried away by such seditious anti-national rhetoric. Abetment of any kind of anti-national activity is a punishable offence. Please retweet in national interest.”