Dissent agreeable, not disintegration of India: Naidu

Asserting that nobody had the right to support Indias disintegration and Kashmirs independence, Union Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu on Monday accused leftist forces in the country of trying to turn universities into "laboratories for separatists experiments".

In the wake of the February 22 violence involving ABVP and All India Students Association supporters at the Ramjas College here snowballing into a major political controversy, the BJP leader slammed the opposition, particularly the Congress, for alleging assault on the freedom of speech and expression.

"Dissent is agreeable, but not disintegration. Nobody can advocate disintegration (of India). What does 'azadi' (independence) of Kashmir mean? Thousands of people have laid down their lives for the unity and integrity of the country," Naidu told the media here.

"Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India; how can anybody advocate 'azadi' for Kashmir? They want to make universities the laboratories for separatists' experiments," he said.

Without taking names, Naidu blamed the leftists for what he said was trying to create trouble in higher education institutions.

"Actually, they are frustrated because a majority of the people have rejected their ideology -- they have been rejected both ideologically and politically. Frustrated, they are now trying to mislead young minds by such arguments.

"There are more than 7,000 institutions (in India) and there is total peace. But they (leftists) are trying to create trouble in a few by raking up casteist, communal or separatist issues," the minister claimed.

Naidu also targeted the Congress for blaming the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Centre for the Ramjas incident that left over a dozen people, including teachers and journalists, injured.

"People who imposed the Emergency, who put the entire opposition behind bars, people who censored the media and superseded the judiciary are now giving sermons about the freedom of speech. The Congress and its supporters are now criticising nationalist organisations; Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad is a nationalist organisation," Naidu said.

--IANS

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