Members from the left parties and the Congress in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday criticised rustication of three Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students and slapping of fine on students’ union leader Kanhaiya Kumar and termed the action as “vindictive and vengeful.”
Flagging the issue during Zero Hour, Tapan Sen(CPM) said the action against students by the JNU authorities tantamount to trampling on constitutional rights of students. He also claimed the punishment meted out to the students was “authoritarian and unjust.”
He termed the rustication of Umar Khalid for one semester, Anirban Bhattacharya till July 15 and Kashmir student Mujeeb Gattoo for two semesters as well as the `10,000 fine on Kanhaiya as “vindictive and vengeful” action.
D Raja (CPI) said Parliament cannot remain a mute spectator to the university rusticating students in a “vindictive” manner on the basis of “doctored and false” videos. Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien expunged certain remarks made by Raja against the university saying since its representatives cannot defend themselves, such harsh words should not be used.
leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said, “we totally support whatever our colleagues have said.”