The Delhi police’s move to barge into the Jamia Millia Islamia University and shell tear gas at students on Sunday, 15 December invoked sharp reactions from various Opposition parties and leaders, who accused the Modi government of using police force to oppress protesting students and dissent.
Shortly before the police barged into Jamia, protestors had torched four public buses and two police vehicles in a with police in New Friends' Colony near the university during a demonstration against the amended Citizenship Act, leaving six cops and two firemen injured, according to PTI.
The police said that it had to enter Jamia to ‘nab outsiders’ who were allegedly hiding in the university after vandalising public public property.
The Congress on Sunday accused the BJP of having failed in its duty to maintain peace in the country and leaving even Delhi burning after Assam, Tripura and Meghalaya.
“From the North East to Assam, West Bengal and now in Delhi. The BJP government has failed in its duty to maintain peace in the nation. They must take responsibility and restore peace in our country,” the Congress said on its official Twitter handle.
Modi Government Being Cowardly: Priyanka Gandhi
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra accused the Modi government on Sunday of being “cowardly” as it feared to hear the voice of people and was making its presence felt through “oppression” on students and journalists.
In a tweet late on Sunday night, she said Prime Minister Narendra Modi will have to listen to the voice of the youth sooner than later as his government was trying to suppress their voice and courage with its “hollow dictatorship”.
“Students are being beaten by sneaking into universities of the country. At a time when the government should listen to the people, the BJP government that time is making its presence felt in the North East, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi through oppression on students and journalists. This government is cowardly,” the Congress general secretary said, using the hashtag “Shame”.
She said the government was afraid of the voice of the people and it was trying to suppress the youth, their courage and resolve with its hollow dictatorship.
“Modi ji do hear out that this is the Indian youth, it will not be suppressed and you will have to listen to their voice sooner than later,” Priyanka Gandhi said.
‘Blow on The Soul of Constitution’: Randeep Surjewala
Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala asked if it was justified that the police entered the Jamia University campus library and beat up students and lob tear gas shells at them.
“Delhi is burning, Assam, Tripura, Meghalaya are burning. Violence is spreading in Bengal, the Home Minister does not have the courage to go the northeast, Japan PM's visit had to be cancelled, but Modiji is happy doing poll campaign in Jharkhand. Those who oppose it are dubbed as traitors and Jamia is the recent example of this,” he said.
“Is it justified that the BJP Government enters the library and hostel at Jamia University and throw tear gas and beat up the youth. Can students not protest against the CAB2019 which is a blow on the soul of the Constitution,” Surjewala asked.
‘Every Drop of Blood Spilled Will Have to be Answered’: DMK’s Stalin
DMK chief MK Stalin on expressed concern over the violence and said the Centre should reconsider the Citizenship Amendment Act
“BJP government must reconsider CAA2019 (Citizenship Amendment Act) in the wake of widespread, continuous protests,” Stalin said in a tweet.
“Shocked to see visuals of brutal attacks on students in Jamia Milia and Aligarh Muslim University,” he said.
“Every drop of blood spilled will need to be answered for in the days to come,” he added.
‘I Stand in Solidarity with Peaceful Protesters’: Rahul Gandhi
Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi did not comment directly on reports of police assaulting students inside university campuses. In a tweet, he criticised the Citizenship Amendment Act and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) as “weapons of mass polarisation”.
“The best defence against these dirty weapons is peaceful, non-violent Satyagraha. I stand in solidarity with all those protesting peacefully against the CAB and NRC.” he said, referring to the student protests.
Owaisi Demands Judicial Enquiry
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi took to Twitter to demand a judicial enquiry into the incident and expressed solidarity with the students of the university.
“In solidarity with Jamia Milia right now@DelhiPolice should release all the students in police custody & tell us the number of students injured due to police brutality. An independent judicial inquiry should be set up to investigate into the incident,” he tweeted.
‘1947 Moment of Modi Sarkar’: Yashwant Sinha
Former BJP leader Yashwant Sinha called the incident the “beginning of the end.”
‘Stop This Brutality for India’s Sake’: Tharoor
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, in a series of tweets, condemned the alleged violence by the Delhi police.
“If only the President has withheld assent to this Bill until seeing its impact. The government’s unseemly haste has led to this awful crisis. But does the BJP ever admit when they’re wrong?” he said.
‘BJP Reaping Electoral Gains By Polarising Society’: AAP
As the Delhi BJP blamed the Aam Aadmi Party for inciting violence, AAP leader and national spokesperson said that the party is orchestrating violence to polarise the society for electoral gains.
Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress leader and Member of Parliament Abhishek Banerjee shared screenshots of the Press Information Bureau’s tweets with the caption, “You can love your country without having to love your government.”
According to the PIB, a member of its social media team “inadvertently” tweeted her personal comments on the official handle.
“Seeing Jamia turn into a warzone is the last thing I expected to see. I can’t let my alma mater bleed,” she had purportedly tweeted.
‘Condemnable Act by Pseudo-Secularist Vested Interests’: VHP
The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) alleged violent protests against the amended Citizenship Act were “condemnable act by pseudo-secularist vested interests".
In a statement, VHP international secretary general Milind Parande said there was no harm in giving refuge in India to refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan fleeing religious persecution there.
He alleged that the protests were “anti-national motivated” act.
“In spite of this logic of national interest, violent demonstrations being carried out by some pseudo-secularists and self-seeking political parties by confusing, misleading and inciting the people under the policy of minority appeasement,” he said.
Parande appealed to state governments to take strict action against all "misguided frenzied elements" and stop any kind of violence and save life, individual and national property.
"It is extremely unfortunate that the governments of some states, opposing the country's Citizenship Amendment Act passed by the Parliament and validated by the President of the country, remain only silent spectators in these violent demonstrations, whereas, constitutionally everyone should come forward to implement the Act!" it said.
(With inputs from PTI)
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