Oppn slams govt over police action against JNU students, BJP hits back

The police action on JNU students protesting against hostel fee hike, disrupted the proceedings of Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, with opposition leaders slamming the Modi government and the varsity administration for "repressing" a democratic movement.

However, the ruling BJP leaders expressed scepticism with Union minister Giriraj Singh alleging that some people wanted to turn JNU into a Centre of "Urban Naxalism".

"The hostel fee hike is a pretext for whatever is happening in JNU. Some people want to turn JNU into a centre of Urban Naxalism. Its the same JNU where 'Bharat Tere Tukde Honge' slogans were raised and where death anniversary of Afzal Guru was observed," the minister told a news channel.

AAP's Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh slammed the police action against students alleging that it was for the first time that students of the university were "beaten mercilessly" for raising their genuine demands.

"It is the same Delhi Police that was complaining that their uniform was tainted after they were assaulted by lawyers. Does beating innocent students, including a visually challenged one, not taint their uniform," Singh said.

Rajya Sabha proceedings on Tuesday were adjourned till 2 pm after opposition uproar over alleged police action on protesting JNU students in the national capital and detention of political leaders in Jammu and Kashmir.

Communist Party of India (CPI) general secretary D Raja said that use of police force on the students was barbaric and unprecedented.

"The Modi government and the JNU administration should understand that the students are not only fighting for themselves but also for the future of their community," he said.

Raja alleged that the JNU administration was trying to "repress" the democratic voice of dissent by the students with use of police force to impose its "agenda" which was against the fundamental values of the varsity.

Around 100 JNU students were detained and some were injured when police allegedly baton-charged protesters as they marched towards Parliament on Monday, demanding a total rollback of the hostel fee hike.