By TCN News,
New Delhi: Civil Liberties Monitoring Committee (CLMC) has termed the ongoing Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) controversy as ‘onslaught of Modi Government’ on the university campuses and demanded withdrawal of cases slapped against students and activists.
CLMC condemned central government for the recent prosecution and arrest of JNU students and other civil rights activists on sedition charges, and said it goes on to show the frustration of Modi government against anyone who doesn’t toe its narrow jingoist ideological lines.
It also observed that ‘Freedom of speech and expression’ includes right to dissent and protest; and the government by branding every dissent of status quo as ‘anti-national’ cannot curb the basic rights provided in the constitution.
“This despicable norm of branding dissenting Muslims as terrorists and dissenting Dalits as anti-national has crossed every limit since Narendra Modi took power in Delhi”, CLMC said adding, ”From Rohit Vemula to Kanhaiya Kumar, Modi government has repeatedly shown India how fragile and vulnerable fundamental rights have become on the face of an authoritarian state”.
It further denounced central government for not taking any action against fascist forces who are openly celebrating the assassination of Gandhi by declaring Godse as hero and disrespecting the constitution are roaming freely.
“This shows the double standard of the communal minded government who wants to turn this nation into hindutva state. The Modi government has given free hands to the Hindutva organizations to carry out all the atrocities against the Muslims, Dalits and the people who are struggling against state repression,” CLMC said in a statement to media.
Sighting a case law Kedernath Singh vs State of Bihar , it said that the Constitutional bench of Supreme Court clearly observed that mere words cannot be seditious unless it is accompanied by incitement to violence.
“Modi government’s absurdity of imposing section 124A against students and civil rights activists for asking uncomfortable questions violates Supreme Court orders,” CLMC alleged.
Claiming that ABVP activists infiltrated into the protests by JNUSU students and raised anti-national slogans, CLMC called for immediate strong action against such purported ABVP activists.
CLMC further demanded central government to stop ‘it’s unconstitutional activities’ and immediately withdraw the cases slapped against students and activists.
Meanwhile, CLMC today also condemned arrest of Professor SAR Geelani and said that the charges of sedition against him are concocted. It further said that the attack on journalists, activists and academics inside the court room by goons affiliated to the ruling party speaks volumes of the government’s sincerity in upholding rule of law.