A day after violence on the JNU campus, the Congress on Monday demanded a judicial probe into it and accused the Modi government of sponsoring violence across the country.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi alleged that the "horrifying" violence unleashed on India's youth by goons was with the active abetment of the Modi government and demanded an independent judicial inquiry into it.
She accused the Modi government of seeking to stifle and subjugate every voice of dissent and said Sunday's "bone chilling" attack on students and teachers at JNU was a grim reminder of that.
"The voice of India's youth and students is being muzzled everyday. The horrifying and unprecedented violence unleashed on India's young by goons with active abetment of the ruling Modi government is deplorable and unacceptable," she charged.
Gandhi alleged that everyday campuses and colleges are raided across India, either by the police or lumpen elements with support of the BJP government.
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"Yesterday's bone chilling attack on students and teachers in JNU, Delhi is a grim reminder of the extent the government will go to stifle and subjugate every voice of dissent," she said in a statement.
Masked men armed with sticks and rods attacked students and teachers and damaged property on the campus on Sunday. At least 36 people, including JNU Students' Union president Aishe Ghosh, were injured as chaos reigned on the campus for nearly two hours.
Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala accused the government of unleashing "state-sponsored terrorism" on campuses across the country and said the violence in JNU reminded him of the Nazi rule.
Demanding a judicial probe into the violence that erupted in JNU, Surjewala said the enquiry should look into the role of the government, the JNU administration and the Delhi Police.
Congress senior spokesperson P Chidambaram demanded that Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik be held accountable for the attacks on a group of JNU students and teachers, saying the perpetrators must be identified and arrested within 24 hours.
Strongly condemning the attacks, he said the "buck starts with the Commissioner of Police and stops with Home minister Amit Shah."
Chidambaram said the JNU violence was an example of the country's "descent into fascism" and the incident was the most clinching evidence of India rapidly descending into anarchy.
He said he was "absolutely sure" that there were intelligence inputs on Sunday's attacks and pointed towards the failure of the Delhi Police in preventing it.
"The Commissioner of Police must be held accountable...The buck starts with the Delhi Police Commissioner and stops with Union Home Minister Amit Shah," he said.
The former home minister said, "This incident is perhaps the most clinching evidence that we are rapidly descending into anarchy. It has taken place in the National Capital in India's foremost University under the watch of the central government, the Home Minister, the LG and the Commissioner of Police."
"This is the gravest act of impunity that we have seen in recent times. Nothing can be more shocking and shameful," Chidambaram said.
The Congress president said students and the youth need affordable education, a deserving job, a promising future and a right to participate in the thriving democracy. "Sadly, the Modi government seeks to suffocate and restrain each one of these aspirations," she charged.
"The entire Congress Party stands in solidarity with India's youth and students. We strongly deprecate the sponsored violence in JNU yesterday and demand an independent judicial inquiry," she said
Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, while condemning the attacks, said the reign of terror unleashed in educational institutions is just an attempt to curb the voice of dissent and debate in the country.
"Ever since the BJP has come to power at the Centre the nation has witnessed a serious threat to institutions of democracy, independence of universities, the voice of youth and general public has repeatedly come under attack with tacit government support," he said in a statement.
"Congress party stands in solidarity with the students and teachers of JNU who have been fighting to save the culture of discussion, debate and democracy," Azad said.
Surjewala accused the BJP government of harbouring enmity with youth of the country as it accused the JNU administration of being complicit in the violent attack on Sunday night.
It also alleged that the Delhi Police remained a mute spectator when students were being attacked by armed miscreants.
"We demand a comprehensive judicial probe into the entire violence at JNU campus by a sitting judge," Surjewala told reporters.
"The entire country witnessed state-sponsored terrorism and 'goondaism' yesterday on the JNU campus when nearly 300 masked goons, brandishing sledgehammers, iron rods and other weapons, created mayhem between 6-9 pm last night," he alleged.
The Congress leader alleged the entire 'goondaism' happened under the watch of the JNU administration as also the Delhi Police which is directly controlled by Home Minister Amit Shah.
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