The Opposition on Thursday tried to paint the JNU crackdown and Rohith Vemula’s suicide in Hyderabad University as the outcome of a deliberate attempt by the Government to suppress “dissent,” impose their idea of nationalism and “a theocratic Hindu Rashtra” on the country.
Opposition leaders, cutting across party lines backed the action against those who raised anti-India slogans at JNU, but accused the Government of using it as a ruse to frame innocent persons like JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar and allowing vigilante justice by giving a free hand to goons and lawyers on the Patiala House Courts complex to attack journalists, JNU teachers and Kumar.
The Opposition also demanded that the House committee should go into affairs of the university to see what has gone wrong on the campus and suggest remedial measures.
Initiating a discussion on the “Situation arising in Central Universities of higher education with specific reference to JNU and University of Hyderabad,” CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury termed the Government’s “interference” in some universities “illegal.”
Yechury said, “Please do not castigate the entire student community and the institutions… Stop this tirade for advancing your brand of nationalism.”
He added that an effort was being made to change India, a Secular, Democratic Republic, into a “theocratic, fascist Hindu Rashtra”.
“To replace history with mythology, to replace the rich Indian philosophy with Hindu theology, is the larger project at work and this project, actually dovetails with the project which this Government is patronising, the project of metamorphosing India’s Secular, Democratic Republic into what they call the Hindu Rashtra.
This, therefore, is an assault on the Constitution of India and, unfortunately, this Government is leading this insurrection,” Yechury said while attacking the Government.
Participating in the debate, leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad questioned whether action should not be taken against media organisations which had run videos which were apparently misleading. Asserting that his party was for punishing the guilty, he said it appeared that somebody had shouted slogans but videos appeared to be implicating someone else.
He said action should be taken, even if such a media organization is close to a party. Action should be taken and case of sedition filed against those who tried to create divisions, whether it is a channel person or anybody, he said.
Referring to a reported resignation by a TV channel employee, Azad asked whether such media organisations divide the country as per news which suits them. He also accused the BJP of shielding its MlA and lawyers affiliated with the party, who allegedly indulged in violence in Patiala House Court premises.
Azad also claimed that the BJP was on a weak wicket vis-à-vis the Congress on the issue of nationalism as his party has a long and illustrious history. “Those who live in glass houses don’t throw stones at others,” he said.
Claiming that the BJP was exhibiting its love for nationalism like a neo convert does for his new religion, Azad said the Government could hold a debate on nationalism in this session.