While launching a scathing attack on the Centre, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said he is in favour of Jat reservation. The comments came while the CM was attending a rally at Jantar Mantar in support of Rohith Vemula on Tuesday.
Students from 15 universities reached Delhi in support of Kanhaiya and Rohith Vemula while 1,500 students of student political bodies joined the protest and marched from Ambedkar Bhavan, Jhandewalan to Jantar Mantar.
Rahul Gandhi, Congress vice-president, too joined the protest and said Modi Government is trying to suppress the voice of Indian Youth. Joining Vermula’s parents and friends in protest march, he said, “We need to implement a strong law to stop discrimination in universities.”
“Rohith’s voice was crushed, he was in pain and wanted to fight for country’s future but his voice was suppressed by the RSS leaders,” said the Congress leader. “We need a law to ensure that students in colleges and universities do not face discrimination and their voice is not stifled,” said Gandhi.
Yogendra Yadav, Sawaraj Abhiyan leader told The Pioneer that to ensure the safety of students in universities, there is need to vigilance the regulations of University Grant Commission (UGC)-2013, “There is a provision of equality in higher education, student entitlement and grievance redress system under UGC Act, we are filing RTIs in various universities to check that weather this law is being followed or not,” Yadav said. Universities should be free from political activities and viable for both safety and equality of students,” he said.
“Students are facing adverse impact of national level politics in the campuses, be it FTII, Jadavpur University, Banaras Hindu University or JNU, only students are suffering from politics,” he added.
The protesters, including hundreds of students from University of Hyderabad and Osmania University, raised Ambedkarite slogans such as “Jai Bhim” and demanded justice for Vemula, alleging that the Centre was responsible for his suicide.
Students from universities in the national Capital, such as JNU, Delhi University, Jamia Millia Islamia and Ambedkar University, joined the march condemning police action in JNU while demanding immediate release of JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar. Vemula’s mother Radhika and brother Raja were also present in the march. large numbers of students, academician, intellectuals and social activists, including Medha Patkar, joined the protest march.
Making a direct attack on the Central Government, Kejriwal said if someone tries to go against the nation, he will not be spared. “In a similar way, if an innocent is harassed, as the Centre is doing, my Government will not tolerate this,” he said.
“Modiji ab bhi samay hai sudhar jaiye varna janta aap ko ukhad degi (Modiji mend your ways otherwise students will uproot you),” he said.
Extending support to the cause of Jat reservation, he said, “There are rumours that I am against the reservation but let me be clear, I am in favour of reservation.”
Kejriwal, along with his Ministers Somnath Bharti, Ashutosh and Sanjay Singh, joined the protest. He said educational institutions should be under the educationists and that there should be no political interference in that. He added that the RSS and the BJP have given a new definition to nationalism.
“For them Nathuram Godse is a nationalist, whereas Kanhaiya is an anti-national… Saare luche lafange nationalist hain, aur Aamir Khan, Rohith Vemula anti-national hain,” he added.