Rahul Gandhi Meets Students Protesting Against Police Action in JNU

TIA NEWS /

Congress, Left, JD(U) and other political parties have blamed BJP led NDA government of scuttling the freedom of expression in campus like JNU. Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi today visited the JNU campus and addressed a big crowd of students. He said that those who are scuttling the voice of poor and students are biggest anti national. Rahul Gandhi was also shown black flags by protesting students of the BJP-linked union ABVP.

Leaders of Left and Janata Dal (United) met Home Minister Rajnath Singh today in connection with Jawaharlal Nehru University row. They demanded release of JNU Students Union President Kanhaiya Kumar.

Kanhaiya was remanded to three-day police custody by a Delhi court Friday and has been charged with sedition and conspiracy for allegedly indulging in anti-India activities.

Talking to reporters after meeting Home Minister Rajnath Singh, CPI (M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said, Home Minister has assured them that the investigation will not be carried out against any innocent person.

On the other hand, BJP leader Shrikant Sharma said rather than condemning such slogans, some political parties are justifying it which is shameful.

Delhi Police Commissioner B S Bassi also met Rajnath Singh over the JNU issue. He is believed to have submitted a status report regarding the JNU row.

Seven youths were detained today after they were found trying to enter the venue of a cultural programme in New Delhi area with posters, which the police claimed could have disrupted law and order.

According to police, the first one to be stopped at the security check point at Jashn-e-Rekhta event at Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts, was a Delhi University student, who claimed to be the member of Left student group SFI.

Several posters, containing slogans of democracy, equality and justice, were recovered from him.Soon, six others from the same group were detained and taken to Parliament Street police station.

Left leaders met Home Minister Rajnath Singh today regarding the issue. CPM General Secretary Sitaram Yechury said police action against JNU student on sedition charges is “completely wrong” and “the government is trying to propagate RSS ideology”.

Delhi’s Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said, “Male policemen can’t raid girls’ hostels in the name of anti-national activities. This is an attempt to terrorise students.”

The BJP reacted sharply. Party spokesperson Anil Balooni said the Left leaders were siding with those “who stand with Pakistan.” Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju said, “These students are not school-children. What they did was well thought out.”

Rajnath Singh told the Left leaders that no innocent person will be harassed.

Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi also met the Home Minister. The Delhi Police has written to the JNU vice-chancellor asking the university to produce the five students other than Kanhaiya Kumar, who were taking part in the protests on Afzhal Guru.

Kanhaiya Kumar, the president of the JNU students’ union and an activist of a Left-linked group, who organized the programme in Afzhal Guru’s memory, was arrested on Friday. He has been charged with sedition and conspiracy, and remanded in police custody for three days.

A group of students on Tuesday held an event on the campus to mark the death anniversary of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. During the event, some students shouted anti-India slogans.