Eight oppn parties target Smriti Irani
NEW DELHI: Eight opposition parties on Tuesday targeted HRD minister Smriti Irani over the alleged harassment of Allahabad University Students’ Union (AUSU) president Richa Singh, accusing the minister of acting like ABVP’s “patron saint”.
“We are agonised over the fact that the first ever lady president of AUSU Richa Singh, a PhD scholar, is being harassed by the administration...,” the parties that included Congress, Left and AAP said in a joint statement.
CPI general secretary S Sudhakar Reddy separately asked the BJP-RSS combine to “keep off ” AU, alleging that RSS students wing ABVP was trying to “saffronise” it after “targeting” JNU and University of Hyderabad, and sought action against those trying to “create tension” on its campus.
Drawing a parallel with dalit scholar Rohith Vemula’s suicide in University of Hyderabad and the JNU row, involving Kanhaiya Kumar’s arrest, leaders from the eight parties trained their guns on Irani, reminding her that she is a minister of the entire country and not just the RSS and BJP.
Jairam Ramesh and Rajeev Shukla (Congress), Sitaram Yechury (CPI-M), D Raja (CPI), K C Tyagi (JD-U), Javed Ali Khan (SP), Tiruchi Siva (DMK), Bhagwant Mann (AAP) and Jaiprakash Yadav (RJD) were signatories to the statement.
“A government, which refuses to learn that autonomy of educational institutions is foundation of democracy, is sowing widespread discontent on campuses by its blatant support to ABVP’s goondaism,” they said.
Noting that Singh had won as an independent candidate in AU while all the other seats were won by ABVP, the leaders claimed she was in the eye of the storm for protesting against a visit of firebrand BJP MP Yogi Adityanath to the university.
“ABVP members allegedly attacked the protesters but instead of investigating the attack, an enquiry was set up against Singh herself. Further, there is a move now by the V-C to declare her admission null and void, using some technical grounds, in order to get rid of what appears to be the only thorn in ABVP’s side.”
“It is her (minister’s) responsibility to encourage and protect all constitutional freedoms on university campuses. If Singh is made a victim of ABVP’s diktats, on the heels of Rohith Vemula and Kanhaiya Kumar episodes, then students of this nation will be forced to rise in revolt,” the statement added.
Earlier, JD (U) leader KC Tyagi raised the issue of the “authoritarian attitude” of AU vice-chancellor in the Rajya Sabha. “First we saw the sacrifice of Rohith, then the Kanhaiya episode and now Richa Singh episode is in the process,” he said.
Tyagi said Richa met him on Monday and raised issues of “crime against women, gender insensitiveness, authoritarian attitude of AU V-C etc.” Responding to Tyagi, MoS for parliamentary affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said there “should be no attack” on students, student movements and student independence. “If the AU administration has resorted to discrimination in the case, I will bring the matter to the notice of the minister concerned so that an inquiry can be conducted and proper action taken,” he assured the house.
Meanwhile, leader of opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad sought security for JNU student’s union president Kanhaiya Kumar in view of two “rewards” announced by two persons on his head and for chopping off his tongue. To this Naqvi said adequate security would be provided to Kumar.