CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury led the attack on Government in Rajya Sabha on Thursday accusing it of playing politics in campuses to advance its agenda of Hindutva and not protecting the interests of underprivileged.
Yechury termed crackdown in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) as interference in university’s autonomy, functioning and an attempt to suppress dissent. He even called for setting up a Committee of Rajya Sabha members to look into the happenings of Central Universities as alleged by the BJP and removal of the controversial law on sedition.
Initiating discussion on “Situation arising in Central Universities of higher education with specific reference to JNU and University of Hyderabad,” Yechury accused BJP-led Government of imposing their idea of a “theocratic, fascistic Hindu Rashtra” on the country and asked Government to “stop interfering” in Central Universities which have been set up by an Act of Parliament.
“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 metamorphising 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.
Terming Government’s “interference” in some universities “illegal”, Yechury added: “Please do not castigate the entire student community and the institutions…Stop this tirade for advancing your brand of nationalism.”
Starting the discussing by mentioning the issue of Rohith Vemula’s suicide, Yechury said Dalit students were socially ostracised and their scholarships were stopped. “Stopping their scholarships, actually, means virtually murdering them. You do that and then you create a situation where the students commit suicide,” the left leader said adding it was serious matter that goes beyond Rssome trouble in the university’.
“This is a serious matter of what is the State’s role in intervention and if the State promotes this role of intervention that is anti-Dalit, that is something we in the Parliament will have to take note of because that University was created by an Act,” he said.
According to Yechury such interference was not only limited to the JNU or Hyderabad University, but could be seen in other institutions and accused Government of castigating an entire university (JNU) as anti-national.
Taking up the issue of JNU and speech by JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar, Yechury said: “I too want aazadi (freedom). I want freedom from hunger, Manuwad (ancient religious laws) and poverty ... You arrest me if you want to for that, but stop conspiring against our children.” He quoted Jawaharlal Nehru to underline universities were places where debate on all ideas should flourish.
He also accused Government of trying to impose its idea of “narrow nationalism.”
During the discussion Yechury remarked sarcastically on Home Minister Rajnath Singh saying that despite being the repository of all intelligence inputs the minister used “a parody tweet” of terrorist Hafeez Sayeed to attack the JNU students.
He criticised Government and police for inaction for attacks on Kanhaiya Kumar and journalists by a group of lawyers in Patiala House Court and demanded removal of sedition charges against Kumar. On left parties being called a ‘witch’ by a BJP MP, Yechury concluded by saying: “Yes, we are witches. We forewarn. Understand
the prophesy of witches”, and quoted Shakespeare’s play Macbeth in which the witches speak of the upcoming doom for the rulers.