Former president of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) Kanhaiya Kumar on Thursday said that activists and those protesting against the brutal attack on students and teachers of his alma mater JNU, were not breaking the country but would break the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party instead.
Kumar, an alumnus of the prestigious Jawaharlal Nehru University where a violent mob ran riot on Sunday evening attacking students and teachers and injuring several of them critically, was addressing a crowd outside the Human Resource Development (HRD) ministry in the national Capital.
A delegation of seven teachers, all members of the JNUTA, and four JNUSU office bearers had gone to meet senior MHRD officials on Thursday in connection with the violence at JNU.
“They call us members of the tukde tukde gang. I am standing here on the road, without covering my face, and admitting that yes I am from the tukde tukde gang. But we are not breaking the country. We will break BJP,” Kanhaiya said. The former student leader also said there was no “tukde tukde” government before 2014. “Tukde tukde” gang is a term coined by the BJP to refer to alleged sympathisers of separatists.
Taking a swipe at the ruling BJP government at the Centre, Kumar said, “We have talked about what happened in JNU, but we also need to understand why one university is being defamed time and again. Why those standing with them too are branded as anti-national. Deepika Padukone came to JNU. She did not say anything or name either the Prime Minister or the Home Minister. She just met injured students and left. Immediately, supporters of the BJP launched a drive to boycott her movie. If she did not name any party or ideology, why wouldn’t you watch her film?”
{{/usCountry}}Taking a swipe at the ruling BJP government at the Centre, Kumar said, “We have talked about what happened in JNU, but we also need to understand why one university is being defamed time and again. Why those standing with them too are branded as anti-national. Deepika Padukone came to JNU. She did not say anything or name either the Prime Minister or the Home Minister. She just met injured students and left. Immediately, supporters of the BJP launched a drive to boycott her movie. If she did not name any party or ideology, why wouldn’t you watch her film?”
{{/usCountry}}“This means that they accept government supporters were behind the violence unleashed in JNU. The VC said great personalities should meet those students who are not being able to study. Somebody needs to remind him that this is his job. He has to talk to students and teachers. Deepika is not JNU’s Vice Chancellor,” he added.
According to the university administration, two or more student organisations fought among themselves on January 5. “Then why did the violent mob attack and beat up teachers?” Kumar asked.