Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Sitaram Yechury strongly condemned police action against JNU students who were marching to Parliament in protest against the recent hike in hostel fee proposed by the university administration.
“This is not the way to deal with a democratic protest. The police deployment is much larger than deployment during Emergency days. This is [Prime Minister]Modi’s emergency. We strongly condemn it,” Mr Yechury said at a press conference.
He was the JNU Students’ Union president during the Emergency.
”Peaceful demonstration is an elementary right in a democratic society. This shows extreme authoritarianism by Narendra Modi-led government,” he added.
He said that on many occasions during his tenure as JNUSU President the student marches have come till Parliament gates. There was no violence. Not even a single stone was thrown, he said. “The Police is in fact trying to provoke. The students have shown restrain in face of such provocation,” he added.
CPI general secretary D. Raja said. “Repression unleashed against JNU students fighting for genuine and justified demand is highly condemnable. The unprecedented fee hike doesn't just affect the present students, it also stops entry of students from marginalised sections from far away parts of our country,” he said.
Former MP Sharad Yadav called the police action against JNU students as unfortunate. In a tweet in Hindi he said that poor students from far corners of the country come to JNU and the government wants to snatch their right to enter this exalted institute. He called for reinstating the old fee structure to bring peace back in the university.
