Vice-Chancellors of at least two varsities today expressed concern over the row concerning Jawaharlal Nehru University and alleged raising of anti-national slogans on its campus.
"It's a conspiracy to raise such slogans to break India. This is a crime. Whatever happened in JNU (alleged slogans) is a crime and the utterances cannot be covered under anybody's freedom of expression," said Kuldeep Chandra Agnihotri, VC, Central University of Himachal Pradesh.
He was addressing a national seminar on "Sanvad ka Swaraj" here.
"Whatever the people at JNU are talking is wrong. They know Afzal Guru (convict of 2001 Parliament attack who was hanged) was a terrorist. They know 'Mahishasur' (a mythological demon) was not a hero. They know that Ishrat Jahan was a member of Lashkar-e-Toiba. Despite knowing all this, these people are talking about breaking the country," Agnihotri said.
In his speech, Brijkishore Kuthiala, VC of Bhopal-based Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University of Journalism and Communication, said the debate that started following the JNU incident should be viewed seriously.
"The media, universities and colleges have important role to play. The campuses of varsities could be the places for political discussion, but not of such political activities where the motive is to disintegrate the nation and society".
He expressed the need for proper communication amid different lines of thinking.
