Delhi police register sedition case over JNU protest

The Delhi police on Thursday registered a case of sedition in connection with the event organised in the Jawaharlal Nehru University against the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru following complaints by BJP MP Maheish Girri and RSS student front ABVP.

Delhi police spokesperson Rajan Bhagat said an FIR under Section of 124 A of IPC (sedition) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) has been registered against unknown persons at Vasant Kunj (North) police station and the video footage of the event was being examined for further action.

Mr Girri wrote to Union home minister Rajnath Singh and HRD minister Smriti Irani seeking directives for the varsity’s vice-chancellor. He requested Ms Irani to give directions to the JNU V-C to not conduct such events.

JNU vice-chancellor M. Jagdish Kumar on Wednesday had ordered a proctorial committee to probe violent clashes between two student groups on Tuesday night after an argument over awarding of capital punishment to Afzal Guru.

The BJP MP from East Delhi also wrote to the Delhi police requesting it to file an FIR against the “anti-constitutional event” in JNU. “As a people’s representative, I was very much concerned and painful regarding anti-national slogans and anti-national activities conducted in the prestigious campus of JNU.”

Marking the death anniversary of Guru, a group of students on Tuesday held an event on the campus and shouted slogans against the government for hanging him, despite varsity administration having cancelled the permission for it.

The left-dominated JNU Students’ Union distanced itself from the controversy, saying the ABVP was opposed to it and not the union. Of the four top posts of the union, three are held by leftist Aisa and AISF and one by ABVP.

The Left leaders of the union also termed the ABVP complaint as an attempt to curb the democratic traditions of the university. There were protests on the campus for the second day on Thursday with slogan shouting by the two groups.

The ABVP also demanded that the 10 students behind the event must be rusticated with immediate effect. “Let’s make it clear that if any student inflicts self harm after disciplinary action, govt shouldn’t be held responsible. Enough of Drama. (sic),” Mr Girri tweeted.

South Delhi parliamentarian Ramesh Bidhuri also wrote to police commissioner B.S. Bassi demanding stringent action against the students involved. BJP national secretary Shrikant Sharma condemned the event, saying there were a handful of people who were trying to “pollute the atmosphere” in JNU. “Slogans against India were raised and a terrorist was called a martyr,” Mr Sharma added.