West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday described the violence in Jawaharlal National University on Sunday as a “fascist surgical strike” and urged students to “unite and fight together against the BJP government at the Centre”.
“Our stand is very clear. We are absolutely with the students. I appeal to all my student brothers and sisters to be united and work together and fight the battle together”. The attack was a “dangerous planned attack on democracy”, she said.
“They are torturing the professors also. It is disturbing not only for me but for all. Such a development had never occurred in the country... While they send the goons of the BJP, they kept the police inactive,” said Ms. Banerjee. As someone who started her political life as a student leader, she said she understood the issues relating to student politics.
“I feel ashamed to point out the way in which democracy is being attacked in such a dangerous and pre-planned manner. Anybody voicing dissent is called a Pakistani or labelled an enemy of the state. See what the situation is like in JNU, AMU, IIT, and even Vishva Bharati,” she said. A Trinamool delegation, led by former Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi, was going to Delhi to show solidarity with JNU, she said.
The four-member delegation, which included Rajya Sabha members Manas Bhuniya and Vivek Gupta and Lok Sabha member Sajda Ahmed, were not allowed to enter the campus.
