Afzal Guru-JNU row: Vice-Chancellor Jagdeesh Kumar is behind clampdown, says Sitaram Yechury

NEW DELHI: Sitaram Yechury and D Raja today discussed the JNU issue with Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh. The Left leaders met Rajnath to complain against the arrest of Jawaharlal Nehru University students' union president Kanhaiya Kumar by Delhi Police. Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi also reached  Rajnath's residence.

Left leaders Sitaram Yechury and D Raja today discussed the JNU issue with Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh. The leaders met Rajnath to complain against the arrest of Jawaharlal Nehru University students' union president Kanhaiya Kumar by Delhi Police. Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi also reached  Rajnath's residence.

Sitaram Yechury told the media that Rajnath has assured them that investigation won't be carried out on any innocent person and they told the home minister what is happening in JNU is worse than what happened during Emergency.

Yechury also alleged that Vice-Chancellor Jagdeesh Kumar is behind the clampdown. 

Kanhaiya, who was arrested on Friday on charges sedition and conspiracy, was remanded for custodial interrogation for three days by a local court while at least 8 other students were debarred from academic activities by the JNU pending a disciplinary enquiry into an event held in support of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru who was hanged in 2013. Later, Kanhaiya was later produced before metropolitan magistrate Lovleen where the police sought his custodial interrogation for five days to ascertain the alleged links of the accused persons, including those who are allegedly on the run, with the terrorists.

The Delhi Police on Friday launched a massive search operation in south Delhi and old Delhi to arrest Omar Khalid, Anant Prakash, Rama Naga, Ashutosh and Anirban who are absconding from university campus.

However, Kanhaiya told the court that he was neither shouting any slogan nor saying anything against integrity of the country.

The Delhi Police action came after Rajnath Singh made it clear that anti-India activities will not be tolerated in India and the government will take strict action against the troublemakers.

Meanwhile, both Yechury and Raja have alleged that  the Left-linked student group has been subjected to arbitrary arrests as part of a nefarious political agenda. JNU students' union also terms the incident as RSS plot to shut the University.

Bassi on Friday justified the sedition charges on the students of the Jawaharlal Nehru University for eulogising Afzal Guru and warned people of indulging in anti-state activities saying the punishment for the same ranged from three years to life imprisonment.

A group of students had on February 9 held an event in the campus and allegedly shouted slogans against the hanging of Afzal Guru in 2013. However, the university claims it cancelled permission for the Afzal Guru event, which was allegedly pitched as a cultural function. JNU Vice-Chancellor Jagdeesh Kumar has called it an act of indiscipline.