New Delhi, Jul 24 (PTI) With the Delhi University and the Jawaharlal University warning students to “stay away” from Jantar Mantar protests, the Congress on Friday slammed the Narendra Modi government and said it is now using these much-respected universities as propaganda outlets to bully the students.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said that instead of making Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resign and then start a meaningful discussion on the education system, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have resorted to denigrating the centres of learning.
He said students are on ground zero because the Modi government is now using these much-respected universities as propaganda outlets to bully them.
“Instead of making Dharmendra Pradhan resign and then start a meaningful discussion on the education system, Modi-Shah have resorted to denigrating our centres of learning. Now you know why our youth are on the streets. Now you know how BJP damaged the education system in the past 12 years,” Kharge said.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday slammed the Delhi University and asked how dare it “threaten” students for exercising their democratic rights.
“Please note, you are the ones that will be held accountable when the time comes,” Gandhi said, tagging the Delhi University social media post advising students to “stay away from Jantar Mantar”.
“How dare you threaten students for exercising their democratic rights? Please note, you are the ones that will be held accountable when the time comes,” Gandhi said in his post.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said, “This is utterly appalling. Even in the days of the JP Movement leading up to the Emergency, there was no bar by the @UnivofDelhi on students joining any of his protests, and a couple of members of my Union Cabinet at St Stephen’s, including the late Chandan Mitra, openly did so.” “If one of India’s foremost public universities is allowed to threaten its students and faculty with significant consequences if they attend a protest, it has a chilling effect on democratic speech and expression. Most DU students are not so privileged as to ignore such a sternly-worded warning without fearing that their academic or professional prospects might suffer if they attended the protest,” Tharoor said on X.
A university is meant to teach critical thinking and independent assessment of issues, not to stifle these very qualities, he said.
“Shame on those at the @UnivofDelhi who saw fit to issue such a tweet. They are unworthy of holding any position at an institution of higher learning in a democracy,” Tharoor said.
Their remarks came after the University of Delhi posted on Thursday night, “Dear students and faculty, your safety matters to us. Please note that any unlawful assemblies or demonstrations at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi, which are strictly regulated as per the directives of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India, may invite legal action.” Such activities can also pose serious risks to students’ personal safety and significantly impact their academic progress and professional opportunities, the university said.
“Accordingly, all students are urged to stay away from Jantar Mantar and prioritise their safety and compliance with the law. Furthermore, you are advised to exercise caution as a significant amount of fake and misleading content is being created and circulated to fuel the situation,” it said.
The Jawaharlal Nehru University on Friday said all stakeholders of JNU’s epistemic community are advised to act responsibly and prioritise their personal safety.
“In accordance with the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India’s directions on public demonstrations, you are requested to refrain from participating in or visiting gatherings at or around Jantar Mantar, New Delhi. Please exercise responsibility on social media. Violations may invite legal consequences under applicable laws as well as disciplinary action under the University’s code of conduct,” the varsity said in a post on X.
“You are also encouraged to uphold the values of academic responsibility and responsible citizenship,” it added.
Students led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) have been protesting in the heart of Delhi since June 20, demanding the resignation of Pradhan over the NEET paper leak. PTI ASK KSS KSS
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.