Opp parties in Bihar protest lathicharge on JNU students;

The JNU stir against fee hike had its echo in Bihar Legislative Assembly, with opposition RJD, Congress and CPI-ML legislators on Friday staging protest against the lathicharge on Jawaharlal Nehru University students.

They also demanded resignation and an apology from Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi for his remarks against the students of the prestigious university.

Carrying placards, the opposition leaders held protest in the assembly premises on the opening day of the five-day winter session of the house and raised anti-central government and anti-Sushil Modi slogans.

"Deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi's tweet is absurd and baseless. He has portrayed the JNU and its students in a bad light which shows his mentality and understanding about institutions like JNU...Even Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) is protesting against the fee hike.

 

"Sushil Modi should not only apologise but also resign for his comments," said former JNUSU president and Congress MLA Shakeel Ahmad Khan.

Sushil Modi, who has been Deputy CM for past 14 years, could not improve the education scenario in Bihar especially the Patna University, he said and added instead the University's reputation has further taken a beating under his regime.

RJD MLA and Lalu Prasad's elder son Tej Pratap Yadav termed the incident of lathicharge on JNU students as "wrong" and said the government must listen to their genuine demands.

"The lathicharge on JNU students is wrong. The government should look into their demands and accept them if they are genuine," Yadav told reporters.

He, however, dodged a query on implementation of NRC (National Register of Citizens) in Bihar, saying "the issue is between JD(U) and BJP and they should deal with it."

Senior RJD leader and MLA Lalit Yadav also demanded an apology from Dy CM for his remarks on JNU and its students.

"Sushil Modi, who was once a student leader, has not only defamed the JNU and its students but also showed them in a bad light. He should tender an apology," Yadav said while carrying placard in his hands outside the Assembly main entrance, a few minutes before the house sat for the day.

Sushil Modi, two days back, had said in his tweet that fee hike is not a big issue on which students should take out a protest march to Parliament.

The reality is that urban naxals indulging in beef party, public kissing, defacing statue of Vivekanand on the campus and raising 'tukde tukde' slogans can no longer mislead students hailing from poor families in a bid to gain politically, Sushil Modi had said.

In the same tweet, he in an apparent reference to Lalu Prasad's two sons-Tej Pratap Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav- without naming them, had said those who have become RJD's helmsmen without seeing face of a college or university are now making statements on JNU.