BJP activists hurl eggs at Kanhaiya Kumar's vehicle

Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) president Kanhaiya Kumar on Thursday faced an angry demonstration from slogan-shouting BJP activists, who hurled eggs at his vehicle here.

Kumar, who is a leader of the CPI-affiliated All India Students Federation leader and was here to address a mass convention at the Mahajati Sadan, kept his calm as Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) supporters shouted "Kanhaiya Kumar murdabad" and "Kanhaiya Kumar go back", besides raising other slogans against him.

Police threw a protective ring around the vehicle and took into custody 12 demonstrators, four of them women.

Later, Kanhaiya Kumar told AISF activists at the convention not to say anything to anybody who shows him black flag or throws shoes at him as "protesting is a democratic right".

In his address at the mass convention, Kumar urged Left leaders and cadres to hit the streets and laid stress on the Left and the social democrats coming together to battle the threats of communalism and fascism and social injustice.

"If Left leaders are not charged with sedition, or if they aren't being framed and jailed, or if they aren't getting beaten up or if shows are not being thrown at them, I'd say they aren't working for the people," he said.

The student leader covered a wide range of issues from the Left-Congress alliance in West Bengal, to death of Dalit research scholar Rohith Vemula and the policies of the Narendra Modi government.

"My opinion in this context, however, is that to remove someone like Hitler, the Left and Social Democrats need to come together. Alliance is not for remaining in power. It is required to fight threats of communal fascism and social injustice," Kumar said, referring to the Left-Congress tie-up in the state.

Criticising former CPI-M general secretary Prakash Karat for his statement that the Modi government was displaying "authoritarianism" and not "fascism", he said: "A certain veteran CPI-M leader, who is also a former student of the JNU, said the Modi government was authoritarian and not fascist.

"I want to tell him, Comrade, if you don't want to fight anymore, please retire and go to New York. We'll fight our battle."

--IANS

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