Voices differing from BJP, RSS need to join hands: Congress

The Congress on Friday urged unity among all the voices which differ from the BJP-RSS ideology in opposing the brutality unleashed by the central government to suppress the voices of dissent.

"It is disturbing to see when a central university is being used as a platform to teach those people a lesson whose voices are not in concurrence to that of BJP or central leadership of its government," Congress spokesperson Sachin Pilot said in reference to the incidents of violence occurring in Hyderabad University.

"All should stand by those individuals and ideologies which may differ from the BJP and RSS," he said.

"The attempt of the incumbent government is, if anybody is anti-BJP; he or she is shown as anti-India. That ties into their new definition of nation-hood, patriotism and nationalism," Pilot added.

"What we have now seen is calibrated and deliberated attempt to suppress any voice that is in contradiction to the ideology of the incumbent government. The kind of brutality we are seeing being unleashed on faculty and students in campuses across the country is unbecoming on the democratic setup where all voices are heard," Pilot said.

"It doesn't matter what opinions are expressed whether they are left right or center, we now have situation where we are not allowed to speak," he said, asking the BJP leadership to introspect on "who were the people and what were the powers which compelled Rohith Vemulla to commit suicide."

Pilot also alleged the central government of creating a situation of confrontation in parliament by avoiding a dialogue with the opposition on crucial issues.

"Even in parliament, where there should be a dialogue with all the political parties, the BJP has created a situation of confrontation by not having it deliberately. BJP practices a politics of brutality and politics of force," Pilot said.

The Congress leader was reacting to the police action on the Hyderabad Central University students who were protesting against the Vice Chancellor Appa Rao.

Thirty of the protesting students were reportedly injured and one off them was admitted to the intensive care unit on Wednesday.