JNU student leader held for sedition, 8 barred

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 12

With Home Minister Rajnath Singh talking tough and Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani denouncing Tuesday’s protest march on JNU campus against the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru by saying they will never tolerate “insult” to the nation, the Delhi police today arrested president of the university students’ union on charges of sedition and criminal conspiracy for holding the event.

The university also debarred eight students from academic activities pending a disciplinary inquiry. The students will be allowed to stay in their hostels to enable them to represent their stand for a fair investigation. 

The police also took cognisance of an event at the Press Club of India (PCI) on Wednesday, where “pro-azadi” slogans in favour of Kashmir were raised. In this connection, former Delhi University lecturer SAR Geelani has been booked. “An FIR has been registered

against Geelani and other unnamed persons under Sections 124A (sedition), 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 149 (unlawful assembly) of the IPC in connection with the event at the Press Club in which anti-India sloganeering took place,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Jatin Narwal.

Following the case, which was registered yesterday under various sections of IPC against unknown persons at Vasant Kunj (North) police station on the complaints of BJP MP Maheish Girri and ABVP, “Kanhaiya Kumar (student leader) has been arrested,” said a senior police officer. The police first picked up Kumar for questioning and later arrested and produced in a local court, which remanded him to three day police custody. A group of students on Tuesday held an event on the JNU campus and allegedly raised slogans against the hanging of Guru in 2013. The event occurred despite the university administration having cancelled the permission following a complaint by ABVP members.

While directing the police to take “strongest possible” action against those involved in the event, the Home Minister asserted such activities “will not be tolerated”. He said: “If anyone raises anti-India slogans, tries to raise questions on country’s unity and integrity, they will not be spared. Stringent action will be taken against them.” HRD Minister Irani said: “Today is the day of worship of Goddess Saraswati… let mother India be praised. Nation will never tolerate insult to mother India.”

The JNU students union said the students were being “witch-hunted”.

(With agency inputs)

"The right to dissent and debate is an essential ingredient of our democracy. The Modi government and the ABVP are bullying an institution like the JNU because it won’t toe their line"  Rahul Gandhi, Cong Vice-President

"What is happening in JNU? Police on the campus, arrests and picking up students from hostels. This last happened during Emergency" Sitaram Yechury, CPM Chief