TMC leader Dinesh Trivedi on Monday likened both the violence against JNU students on Sunday evening and police action against anti-CAA protesters in Jamia Islamia campus last month to "terrorist attacks".
Trivedi drew the parallel while conveying his party chief Mamta Banerjee's support to the people protesting in South East Delhi's Shaheen Bagh against recent changes in the citizenship law.
Trivedi, a former railway minister, was part of a Trinamool Congress delegation, comprising Rajya Sabha MP Manas Bhunia, Lok Sabha MP Sajda Ahmed and Vivek Gupta, which visited a group of protesters agitating here at Shaheen Bagh against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC).
"They think they are god and have the power to write everyone's (account) books but don't want any accountability for their work. Don't ask us anything about it. They have crossed all limits," Trivedi told the gathering of thousands that included women and children.
"We are coming from the JNU which was attacked. There was also an attack on Jamia (Millia Islamia) which was carried out by the police. These attacks are equal to terrorist attacks because who goes out for such acts wearing masks! It's only the terrorists who do so," he added.
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His statement comes a day after the violence at Jawaharlal Nehru University in which several masked goons had run riot on the campus and attacked teachers and students.
The TMC leader also slammed the central government over the contentious changes in the citizenship law and a proposed pan-India NRC, saying his party won't allow the division of the country on religious ground.
"Who are you to ask us for our identity cards? You were nowhere to be seen in the fight for freedom (from British rule)... On one side, you preach 'Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam' (whole world is one family) and on the other, you are trying to divide the country. We won't let that happen.
"We (TMC leaders) have come here to promise you that we won't let the country get divided on religious line. This is (Mahatma) Gandhi's India, Maulana (Abdul Kalam) Azad's India, this is your and my India," he said.
He also lauded the courage of a 90-year-old woman, a regular at the protest venue in Shaheen Bagh.
"She is defying the age. Her effort is commendable. We have learnt from TV news that you are also here to protest," he said.
Bhuian, a Rajya Sabha MP, said the TMC delegation has come to Delhi to extend its party's support and solidarity to the protestors.
"Delhi is bleeding. Students and teachers have been attacked in JNU and Jamia. Our Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee has asked us to convey her full support to the protestors. She has said we won't allow the country to be divided on religious grounds through CAA, NRC and the National Population Register (NPR)," Bhuian told PTI.
Thousands of people, including women and children, are protesting outside Jamia Millia Islamia and nearby Shaheen Bagh to oppose the CAA and the NRC.
Besides Delhi, protests have been witnessed at several places in the country over the contentious law and have led to clashes at several places including Uttar Pradesh, where more than 20 people have died.
According to the amended law, members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities who have come from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan till December 31, 2014 due to their persecution there on the ground of religion will not be treated as illegal immigrants and given Indian citizenship. The law excludes Muslims.
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