JNU row: Students’ groups demand immediate release of Kanhaiya Kumar
Setting aside their ideological differences, around a dozen students’ groups joined hands on Wednesday to demand immediate release of JNU Students’ Union president Kanhaiya Kumar.
Setting aside their ideological differences, around a dozen students’ groups joined hands on Wednesday to demand immediate release of JNU Students’ Union president Kanhaiya Kumar. Leftist students’ unions and Congress wing NSUI jointly said that all sections of society should wait for the completion of inquiry into the JNU row and not indulge in “character assassination” of the university and its students.
The joint press conference addressed by leaders from student outfits — All-India Students’ Association (Aisa) of CPI(M-L), All-India Students Federation (AISF) of CPI, National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) of Congress, Students Federation of India (SFI) of CPI(M), Students Forum For Swaraj (SFS) and the Chhatra Janata Dal (United) — also condemned the alleged raising of anti-national slogans in the JNU campus.
All the students’ organisations demanded immediate release of Mr Kumar, who was arrested last week under a case of sedition and criminal conspiracy, and withdrawal of false charges against all the university students.
They also denounced the assault on Left activists, JNU teachers, students and the media on February 15 when Mr Kumar was to be produced for bail hearing in Patiala House court. They claimed that these were attempts by the RSS and the BJP to spread a reign of terror against differing voices.
“We condemn the anti-national slogans that were raised during the event, but who did that is a matter of investigation. Let the inquiry take its course. Do not character assassinate the entire university by branding it as anti-national,” said SFI general secretary Vikram Singh.
NSUI national vice-president Kumar Raja said, “If the entire university is anti-national, then its alumni including foreign secretary S. Jaishankar, CBI director Anil Sinha and BJP leader Nirmala Sitharaman are also anti-national.” A joint statement issued by these student organisations said, “Slogans cannot be used as an excuse to crackdown on JNU. We demand the immediate and unconditional release of JNUSU president Kanhaiya and the immediate withdrawal of false charges on all JNU students.” Claiming that “the RSS and the BJP government are hell-bent on destroying and maligning JNU,” they said the campaign would be intensified in the future. They also alleged that ongoing assault on the JNU is part of a long process by the Modi government to destroy the best educational institutions of India. The organisers claimed that they were denied permission to hold their press conference at the Press Club and the Indian Women’s Press Corps, considering the subject. The press meet was finally held at ITO’s Ajoy Bhawan that houses the CPI office.