Front Page
The front pages of mainstream newspapers Tuesday lead with student protests across the country against the brutal police action in Jamia Millia Islamia and Aligarh Muslim University Sunday. The Times of India notes the demonstrations were held in 36 other educational institutions including Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay, IIT Madras, Jadavpur University and even “far-flung areas” like Siliguri and Kochi.
Students protest across India: The Indian Express’ headline focuses on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s comments, “As students protest across country, PM warns against ‘vested interests’. TOI chooses a similar headline, “Protests spread to more campuses; PM warns against ‘vested interests’”, while Hindustan Times and The Hindu focus on the students — “Students erupt in nationwide protests” (Hindu) and “Students unite, stand by Jamia” (HT).
Express reports that PM Modi “called for peace and said that ‘no Indian has anything to worry’ over the amended citizenship law”. In an accompanying report, it notes that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the new citizenship law and NRC will be implemented in the state over her dead body. Hindu adds that “in a rare moment for Kerala, the ruling Left Democratic Front joined hands with the Opposition United Democratic Front to protest against CAA”.
Kuldeep Sengar convicted: HT writes, “A Delhi court… convicted expelled Bharatiya Janata Party legislator Kuldeep Sengar for abducting and raping a minor girl in 2017”. Hindu notes that the court said “the victim’s testimony was unblemished and truthful, and was proved to be of ‘sterling quality’”. Express reports that the court also “pulled up the CBI saying its investigation ‘suffered from a patriarchal approach or inherent outlook to brush the issue of sexual violence against children under the carpet’.”
CJI on RTI: “Flagging ‘fears’ over the ‘abuse’ of the Right to Information Act, the Supreme Court… observed ‘there have been innumerable cases of blackmail, extortion in its working’ which it wanted to address”, reports Express. TOI writes that the bench, which included Chief Justice of India S.A. Bobde, “gave an unexpected turn to a hearing on a simple application by advocate Prashant Bhushan seeking implementation of the SC’s February 15 judgment directing Centre and state governments to expeditiously appoint information commissioners under the RTI Act”.
GST compensation: “The Centre released ₹35,298 crore to States in Goods and Services Tax compensation… just two days before a crucial meeting of the GST Council,” reports Hindu. The compensation was for two months, August and September. HT adds that despite this “some states said they would still raise the issue at the coming meeting of the GST Council, and also demanded compensation for October and November be released”.
Opinion
The Indian Express: In “Listen to them”, Express notes how visuals of the Delhi Police’s “rampage” in Jamia Millia Islamia in response to the student protest against the new citizenship law revealed an “awful, dispiriting dissonance”. Delhi’s police force has remained a “heavy-footed anachronism in a democracy of the young”, alleges Express, adding that it is a “brutalising left-over from a more repressive time”. It notes that the gap between the police and people is not just about “lathi-happy policemen”, but the Modi government’s silence on the issue. The Narendra Modi government still hasn’t found “the language to talk to those who protest and disagree”, feels Express, while pointing out that it is otherwise in “constant communication or propaganda overdrive”. Instead of listening to the students, it has tried to “stick labels, attribute motives, invoke spectres”, as seen in Modi’s comments during a pre-poll rally in Dumka, Jharkhand and during his comments Monday about there being “vested interests” in the protest.
Hindustan Times: In “Protect free speech”, HT weighs in on actress Payal Rohatgi’s arrest in Rajasthan on account of her posting an “objectionable video” about Motilal Nehru and his family. The episode marks another “assault on free speech and individual rights”, writes HT. Regardless of whether the post had merit or not, Rohatgi is entitled to her fundamental right to free speech, “within constitutionally defined reasonable restrictions”, points out HT. Across the political spectrum, there is a “disturbing tendency to crack down on dissent” and “penalise” people for “unpalatable” views. The punishment is often “embroiling them in long legal processes”, but in reality it’s for the court to decide whether a defamation case against her holds. The judiciary needs to “reconsider its tendency to entertain frivolous pleas,” advises HT.
Prime Time
Apart from NDTV 24X7, English news channels largely moved away from the violence at Jamia Millia Islamia University to look at other issues. Times Now featured the #IndiaEconomicConclave where anchor Navika Kumar interviewed Union minister Piyush Goyal, while CNN News18 debated whether campus protests were “hijacked”.
India TV’s Rajat Sharma discussed how “doctored” videos and pictures are being circulated to claim that police indulged in burning the buses.
Republic TV: Anchor Arnab Goswami discussed “#BengalBurns” after trains were burnt and railway stations vandalised in West Bengal in protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act.
BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said, “Mamata Banerjee is behaving as though Bengal is not a part of India. She is on her way to create the Republic of West Bengal… She doesn’t want Ayushman Bharat, she doesn’t want Swachh Bharat there, she doesn’t want NRC there…”
Before he could complete, Goswami jumped in, “She only wants fanatics there.”
Political analyst Mohammed Touseef Rehman invited Goswami to West Bengal to see the way people are panicking. Hearing this, Goswami snapped, “I come to West Bengal enough, who are you to give me an invitation?”
India Today: The violence in Jamia and actions of the Delhi Police were discussed on the debate with Gaurav Sawant.
BJP spokesperson Rajiv Pandey spoke about Aligarh Muslim University, JNU and Jamia University. He said, “Most students there are interested in studies and they do not participate in all these things… But there are some people there who want to venture out into politics… We see every time they raise a law and order issue with a dafli (Tambourine) and all. We have seen the dafli earlier in JNU and now it’s going to Aligarh Muslim University and Jamia.”
AAP leader Atishi said, “Everyone in a democracy has the right to protest… But no one has the right to be violent.”
ABP News: Anchor Rubika Liyaquat on “Seedha Sawal” asked if the student protests are politically motivated.
BJP’s Gaurav Bhatia reminded that a number of policemen also got severely injured during the protests. He added, “West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee and Madhya Pradesh CM Kamal Nath are openly declaring that they will not inclement the CAA passed in the Parliament in their respective states… isn’t that more unconstitutional?”
AAP’s Sanjay Singh said, “Would any sane person permit the police to enter a university and thrash students? The action taken by the police is condemnable.”
Political analyst Shubharansh Rai sounded furious, “How come the police entered in the girls hostel and library in the name of curbing the protests? When the youth of this country asks questions, the government wants to either shut down JNU or Jamia — to finish the institutions where both knowledge and degree is provided.”
Zee News: As “#DontDivideUs” trended on Twitter, anchors Aditi Tyagi and Aman Chopra discussed the conspiracy behind student protests. “Who gave the students permission to burn the buses,” they asked.
Political analyst Nishant Verma retorted, “The states which are protesting from Assam to Uttar Pradesh don’t even have Congress government as the ruling party.”
RSS ideologue Sangeet Ragi made heated remarks, “Can any Pakistani intruder enter our land? If they do, will they be spared alive? No!”