Uddhav: Attack at JNU reminder of 26/11 terror strikes

Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Monday condem-ned the attack on students of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), saying it reminded him of the 26/11 terror attacks

Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Monday condem-ned the attack on students of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), saying it reminded him of the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai. “The violence at JNU is a resou-nding reminder of the November 26 terror attacks in Mumbai... Those who carried out these attacks, hiding their faces behind masks, are cowards,” he said.

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“They must be identified, nabbed and punished for their crimes,” the CM said, at a press conference at his residence, ‘Matoshree’, in Bandra in Mumbai, adding he did not wish to politicise the issue, but hopes the perpetrators of the attack are brought to justice by the government.

He said the incident shows the “bias” of the Delhi police. When asked if the alleged attacks would have been possible without the support of the government, Thackeray said, “I don’t want to bring politics into it. I am demanding the attackers be unmasked and their true faces be shown…If the police don’t do this [book attackers], there will be a question mark [on their credibility]... It will be clear in due course of time if the attack was sponsored or not”

Reaching out to the students in Maharashtra, Thackeray said such an incident will not happen in the state. “This will not be tolerated in Maharashtra. What is happening elsewhere is inappropriate. No student from Maharashtra should be afraid.”

The CM said security in Maharashtra’s universities will be increased if the government feels the need. “Everything will be done to ensure students in Maharashtra are safe. I assure them that they are safe. No one can touch even a hair on their head. The law will stand by them and [we will] take strict action against law-breakers,” he said. “There is unrest among students now because they feel unsafe. This is a blot on our country. No student should feel afraid, they are our future, and they must be protected, nurtured and shaped. I am certain such violence will not be tolerated in our country either.”

Speaking about the Citizenship Amendment Act 2019 (CAA), the chief minister said, “No one in Maharashtra has anything to worry about. I have made it very clear. I will never let anything untoward happen in Maharashtra.”

In response to the question about whether the JNU attack was sponsored, he said, “It will become clear one by one. It is the government’s job to investigate and take action.”