The Bharatiya Janata Party yesterday slammed Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi for addressing a students’ meeting organised to protest against a police crackdown on Janawarlal Nehru University campus and the arrest of the students’ union president in a sedition case.
The ruling party accused Gandhi of supporting “anti-national” forces.
“A handful of people gather and raise anti-India slogans. This is not any ideology. It is anti-national and Rahul Gandhi had gone to support them,” BJP national secretary Srikant Sharma said.
“This is an insult to our nation and our martyrs. He insulted our Constitution and the judicial system,” Sharma added.
Describing Gandhi’s visit to the university as unfortunate, the BJP leader asked him not to make educational institutions a hub of politics.
“This shows the bankruptcy of the Congress, that they went to support anti-national activities of a handful of people. The BJP condemns it,” Sharma said.
“When anti-India slogans were raised, these people (Congress) were demanding action and when the government took action, they are staging protests. This is unfortunate,” he said.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Anand Sharma was attacked by unknown assailants while participating at the protest.
Eyewitnesses said Sharma was repeatedly struck on his ear by an assailant which led to profuse bleeding.
The JNU Students Union soon issued a statement condemning the attack, and alleged that it was an Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) activist who assaulted the former minister.
The senior Congress leader had gone to the JNU campus to meet the protesting students who have been agitating against the arrest of JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar in the alleged sedition case. The JNUSU denies allegations that any of its members raised any such slogans.
Prior to the incident, Gandhi addressed the students criticising the police crackdown.
The ABVP, the students wing of the BJP, also staged a counter-protest, shouting slogans including “Rahul Gandhi go back.”
Also yesterday, a group of retired servicemen said they would return their degrees to the university over the ongoing anti-national activities taking place inside the campus.
Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Sitaram Yechuri met Home Minister Rajnath Singh and demanded the release of the student leader.