New Delhi: Delhi's prestigious Jawaharlal Nehru University has turned into a battlezone with no end to the controversy over an event at the varsity campus against hanging of 2001 Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru.
Now, defence veterans have jumped into the fray and threatened to return their JNU degrees if alleged anti-national activities continue in the campus. They have told the University Vice Chancellor that it is becoming difficult for them to be associated with the university.
In the letter to the Vice Chancellor, ex-servicemen wrote, "We the proud fraternity of Ex-servicemen of the June 1978 Batch of National Defence Academy, who are proud recipient of the Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts Degree from your esteemed University, are today constrained at the ongoing anti-national activities on your university campus like celebration of Afzal Guru day, and consider it an affront to be equated with the present student fraternity of the university which is indulging in such anti-national activities. We the patriotic Retired Officers of the 54th NDA course, feel that the present activities in the JNU campus negate the sacrifices made by the past degree holders of your esteemed university.
"In light of above we, the proud, patriotic ex-servicemen of the 54th NDA course find it difficult to be associated to a university which has become a hub of anti-national activity, and would therefore be constrained to return our prized and well earned Degrees to your esteemed institution if such activities are allowed to be conducted inside the University Campus," added the letter.
On Friday, JNU Student's Union president Kanhaiya Kumar was arrested, charged with sedition and sent to police custody for three days. Police claimed Kumar was in a purported video of JNU students raising anti-national slogans. Police added that it has identified six students who allegedly raised anti-national slogans during the Afzal Guru event.
Defending himself, Kumar said he is being targeted out of malice and that the pro-Afzal Guru event was organised by people who had nothing to do with the Student's Union.
JNU has also suspended eight students from all college activities.
Playing politics over the incident, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi has joined the JNU debate and accusing the Modi government of bullying students. He tweeted, "Modi government 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 and debate is an essential ingredient of democracy."
Rahul's remarks came within hours of the arrest of Kumar in a sedition case, sparking massive outrage among students and criticism from non-BJP parties which dubbed it as an "emergency-like" situation.
Kumar was arrested remanded to three-day police custody by a local court, a day after police filed a sedition and criminal conspiracy case against him on complaints from BJP MP Maheish Girri and ABVP members.
On Friday, Union Ministers Smriti Irani and Rajnath Singh advocated strong action against those involved in the alleged "anti-India" act even as the students continued with their protests on the campus for the third day, saying they are being "witch-hunted".
Questioning the filing of sedition case, Congress leader Kapil Sibal asserted that it was a very serious charge and the BJP government should think before taking action under it.
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