Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara today said the students' protests takingplace in university campuses across the country, including Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), reflects "unrest" among the "oppressed castes".
"What happened on Hyderabad University campus and what is happening at JNU, are examples of unrest among the oppressed castes," Parameshwara, who himself is a Dalit, told reporters here.
He said the Congress cares for freedom of expression, development and equality and gives the oppressed castes opportunities.
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To a query on Congress' "double standards", first executing Afzal Guru and then backing his supporters raising slogans against his execution, he said, "it is a question of freedom of speech, not an issue of context".
"The police tried to stifle the right to freedomenjoyed by Kanhaiya Kumar, and the students' leader is not ananti-national," he said.
There was also a need for definition of anti-national, Parameshwara said.
JNU Students Union President Kanhaiya Kumar was arrested on charges of sedition by Delhi police, last week. The arrest has escalated into a major standoff which saw students goingon strike demanding his release.
On Taluk and Zilla Panchayat polls held in Karnataka, he said Congress would win more TPs and ZPs, than BJP and JDS.
He said the recent bypoll verdict in eight states did not reflect that people have rejected the idea of politicians backing students indulging in protests on Hyderabad University and JNU campuses.
"Out of the 12 assembly seats, Congress has won fiveseats.. So, it is not outright rejection of theCongress and the stand taken by it on JNU and HyderabadUniversity turmoil," he said.
