If we are being called anti nationals for shouting "seditious" slogans questioning hanging of Afzal Guru, then why BJP has an alliance with PDP in Kashmir, which has always "opposed" his execution, asked three students of JNU who were under scanner for an event on campus on the same issue.
"Can BJP charge PDP with sedition for its stand on Afzal Guru. If even thinking about Guru makes a student seditious, why they have an alliance with PDP in Kashmir, which has always opposed the hanging of Afzal Guru and even was party to a resolution brought in the state assembly against his execution," Ashutosh, told reporters here.
JNUSU General Secretary Rama Naga, Ashutosh Kumar and Anant Prakash, are among the five students who have resurfaced back on campus after 10 days of JNU students union president Kanhaiya Kumar's arrest on sedition charges for allegedly raising anti-India slogans during the controversial.
Anant, former Vice President of JNUSU, said, "we are not receiving fellowships on time and they talk about us receiving foreign funding for 'seditious' events on campus. Even if they consider any activity to be unconstitutional or unlawful, they can condemn it but not criminalise."
"The entire country's energy and time is being wasted by using the top machinery for spying against students debating on campus. If we stand opposite to their ideology then they should bring us in mainstream like they did with PDP. How funny it is that they don't share the ideology but can share the power?" he added.
The trio surfaced back on the varsity campus on Sunday night along with Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya who have been sent to three days police remand by a city court , after their midnight surrender and subsequent arrest in the case.
Reiterating their stand of not surrendering before police, Rama Naga said, "we have not been issued any summons so why should be surrender. We have communicated police about our whereabouts and that we are open to questioning".
"We are going to join the movement against branding of the university as anti-national and attack on students. If the movement goes outside the campus, we are going to join there as well," he added.
The students also feature in the list of those who were academically debarred by the university on basis of a preliminary enquiry report by a high-level committee probing the issue. The varsity has allowed them to stay as guests in hostels to enable them to participate in enquiry process.
Jawaharlal Nehru University is caught in a row over an event in the campus to commemorate the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, where "anti-national" slogans were allegedly raised.
Anirban, who has been given a window of a week (July
15-23) to submit his thesis and has been debarred from university for five years beginning July 24 said, "I am not going to vacate my hostel and follow any of the punishment orders but as a student I am going to stick to the deadline for my thesis submission. I am a bit scared about my future but we will fight against the administration".
The university officials, however, maintained that the students have an option of filing an appeal before the Chief Proctor if they are not satisfied with the decision.
"If they want to file an appeal, we will give them an option to be heard. However, if they are not filing an appeal, they are supposed to vacate hostels immediately and pay fine by May 17," a senior university official said.
He, however, did not comment on what will be the university's course of action if the students don't vacate the hostels.
Meanwhile, a delegation of the JNU Teachers Association (JNUTA) met Vice Chancellor Jagadesh Kumar today and raised concerns over the punishment orders.
"It was an unfruitful meeting. We have decided to call an emergent general body meeting on Thursday to decide on future course of action," a JNUTA member said.
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Questioning the hurry in announcing the decision and the priority of the vice chancellor, Kanhaiya said, "since this is subjudice what is the hurry? Also the committee report said outsiders raised slogans then why punish the insiders? VC was on leave and on his return first thing he did was this, but he is not addressing hostel issues, OBC reservation, deprivation point. This administration is running from phone calls coming from outside."
Meanwhile, five members from ABVP today sat on an indefinite hunger strike against the imposition of penalty of Rs 10,000 on Saurabh Kumar Sharma, lone ABVP member in JNU students union and complainant in the Afzal Guru event.
"I was the one to object to an anti-national event and I have been penalised and equated with Kanhaiya. We had spoken to the administration demanding strict punishment against the ones who have been found guilty and withdrawal of my fine.
"But we have not got any assurance so far so we are beginning a hunger strike," Saurabh said.
