SC should ensure independent probe into JNU incident: Sibal

Seeking to puncture any attempt by BJP to turn the JNU issue into a battle between 'patriots and anti-nationals', Congress today demanded that the Supreme Court should ensure an independent investigation into the episode that has triggered nationwide protests.
"We will request the Supreme Court to ensure investigation by an independent agency into the (JNU) incident," party leader Kapil Sabal told reporters here.
Trashing the sedition charges labeled against JNU Students Union president Kanhaiya Kumar, the former Union minister wondered as to "how Delhi Police could move in the matter when no investigation was done by the university authorities".
Questioning the role played by Delhi Police in the entire matter, Sibal, who is an eminent lawyer, said that the report of the Vice Chancellor "on who is involved in the matter should be out first and then only any action can be taken as per the law. It is because universities are autonomous institutions."

He added that the report should first go to the governing board of the university.
Sibal's remarks come at a time when the apex court is going to hear tomorrow a matter concerning the attack on journalists, teachers and students of JNU at Patiala House courts.

Journalists, students and teachers of JNU were beaten up yesterday allegedly by groups of lawyers, drawing criticism from the media amid calls for the home ministry to look into the "dereliction of duty" by police, which has been accused of being a "mute spectator" during the incident.
Sibal said that the incident at Patiala court was a contempt of court and the apex court should order a thorough probe into the violence, which also involved a Delhi BJP MLA.

"Security of the people going to the court needs to be ensured by the Supreme Court," he said.
Making light of the sedition charges in the case, he wondered why such charges were not pressed against senior BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj, who had hailed Godse and against BJP MLA from Goa Damodar Naik, who eulogised the man who assassinated Mahatma Gandhi.
He also wondered why sedition charges are not pressed against those in the Kashmir Valley, who raised anti-India slogans.
"Is it because BJP is in alliance with PDP," he asked.
Sibal said that eminent Constitution expert Soli Sorabji, who was the Attorney General in the earlier NDA government, has also questioned applying sedition charges in the JNU case.

(Reopens DEL 61)
At the same time, Sibal made it clear that Congress
believes that a terrorist must be dealt with the strongest possible terms.
"That any activity which is anti-national should be dealt as per the law and the Congress party has demonstrated in the past the strong action it has taken," he said, adding that Afzal Guru was hanged during the Congress regime so also Nathuram Godse.
Referring to the student unrest at FTII, Hyderabad University, Ambedkar Periyar Centre in Chennai, he asked as to why youths are being targeted in the country.
"Instead of taking action against a handful of those responsible for shouting anti-India slogans on JNU campus, identical pattern is being repeated by branding the entire JNU as anti-national," Sibal said.

Truth is that government is hell-bent upon destroying the autonomy of all premier educational institutions as also the spirit of students to ideate, debate, express and disagree, he alleged.
His refrain was that this government does not know how to govern.
"In history, there has never been such a fast slide of any government in so short a time. Sensex is down. Rupee is down and Modiji is also down," he remarked.