Kejriwal stands firm with JNU students, slams Modi

Stressing on students’ right to dissent, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday joined JNU students and other protesters to lash out at the central government’s “anti-student” agenda. Kejriwal warned that the students angered by the central government will uproot it and teach it a costly lesson.

“This government seems to be at war with the students of this country,” said Kejriwal,  addressing students who marched from Ambedkar Bhawan to Jantar Mantar over Hyderabad Central University student Rohith Vemula's suicide last month and the JNU sedition episode.

“Modiji, do not confront students... if they come together, they will shake your chair,” he said. Vemula's family members also listened to Kejriwal with rapt attention while protesting students from different universities and foreign institutes waved the national flag, student unions’ flags and placards.

Kejriwal blamed Central ministers for driving Rohith to suicide and drew a parallel between government’s  “highhandedness” in the Hyderabad incident and arrest of JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar over sedition charges.

“They have the right to speak... we have the right to raise our voice against anything which is wrong,” Kejriwal said, criticising the recent action against students who have differed with the government on different issues.

On the JNU issue, the Chief Minister tweeted, accusing the central government of doing little to act against the real trouble makers.

“Why is the government unable to arrest those who shouted anti-India slogans? Or is it that the government does not want to arrest them,” he said. 

Kejriwal had earlier tweeted that he would go to Jantar Mantar to express solidarity with Rohith's family and to speak to the students.

He reached the protest venue after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had come out in support of the students.

In the past, the Chief Minister has accused the central government of growing intolerance. “Centre's new IPC- it's not a crime to murder, rape or beat anyone if u r from BJP. Being opposed to BJP n RSS is biggest crime now,” Kejriwal had said.

The AAP leader’s remark came a day after he complained to President  Pranab Mukherjee about alleged dictatorial tendencies in the Narendra Modi government.