Three office-bearers of the Jawaharlal Nehru University unit of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad on Wednesday resigned from the student wing of the Bharatiya Janata Party strongly protesting against the Centre's handling of the raging row at the premier university and "legitimising" actions of right wing fascist forces.
Pradeep Narwal, joint secretary of JNU unit of ABVP, said he has quit the party.
Rahul Yadav, president of the ABVP unit of JNU's School of Social Sciences and its secretary Ankit Hans have also said they have quit.
In a joint statement, the three leaders said have decided to quit ABVP as they have serious differences over the way the NDA government was handling the issue, adding there is a difference between "interrogation and crushing ideology and branding entire Left as anti-national."
They also expressed deep anguish over assault on media persons and JNU students and teachers in Patiala House Court complex on Monday as well as attack on JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar in the same court complex on Wednesday, alleging that the government was "legitimising" the action of right wing fascist forces.
"We are resigning from ABVP and disassociating ourselves from any further activity of the party as per our difference of opinion over the current JNU incident and long standing difference of opinion with MANUSMIRITI (Smriti Irani) and Rohith Vermula incident.
"Anti-national slogans on February 9 in university campus were very unfortunate and heart breaking. Whosoever responsible for that act must be punished as per the law but the way NDA government is tackling the whole issue, the oppression on professors, repeated attacks on media by lawyers and Kanhaiya Kumar in court premises (today) is unjustifiable," the statement said.
When contacted, a senior ABVP leader said the organisation has not received their resignation.
The three students further said, "We think there is a difference between interrogation and crushing ideology and branding entire left as anti-national. We cannot be mouthpiece of such a government which has unleashed oppression on student community.
"Every day we see people assemble at front gate with Indian Flag to beat JNU student, well this is hooliganism not nationalism, you can’t do anything in the name of nation, there is a difference between nationalism and hooliganism," it added.
The JNU students are on strike demanding release of JNUSU President Kumar. He was arrested on Friday last in connection with a case of sedition and criminal conspiracy registered over holding of the event at the varsity during which anti-India slogans were alleged to have been raised.
Members of the ABVP had objected to holding of the event following which vice chancellor had withdrawn the permission for it. However, the organisers had gone ahead with the event.
Photograph: Anindito Mukherjee/Reuters
