Oppn for judicial probe into Jamia violence
Half a dozen political parties led by the Congress on Monday condemned the police entering the Jamia Millia Islamia university on Sunday and demanded a judicial probe by a Supreme Court judge into its brutality on the students in library and even washrooms.
Rajya Sabha Opposition leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechuri and CPI’s D Raja told a press conference here that the agitations have broken out across the country because of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) brought by the Modi government and its adamant conduct in refusing to heed to the people’s protest.
Azad said most of the opposition leaders were not in Delhi and hence whosoever attended the meeting and other opposition parties were equally concerned since all had opposed the Bill brought in violation of the Constitution. The Opposition parties have also sought an appointment with President Ramnath Kovind since Jamia is a central university under him.
Delhi Police spokesman MS Randhawa evaded questions on the police beating up the students in the library and other places, claiming that the police had entered the university campus to remove the rioters who had entered to escape the arrests. He said some students were also arrested along with the rioters but they were let off on Sunday night itself after identification.
The situation was peaceful in the campus on Monday but tension prevailed in the surrounding Muslim localities as police was hunting for those wanted for the violence on Sunday.
Jamia Millia Islamia ViceChancellor Najma Akhtar and Registrar AP Siddiqui held a press conference on Monday to demand a highlevel inquiry into the crackdown on the students, noting that the police had entered the campus without permission. “We will not tolerate police presence on campus. They scared out students with brutalities,” the vicechancellor said.
The leaders said they would take forward the movement across the country to explain to people the damage that the Modi government wants to inflict on the country by trying to divide the people through CAA and the national register of citizens.
Congress leader and lawyer Kapil Sibal said the fact that the riots are taking place because of the government decision is very dangerous as it shows that the nation is against the government. He said the Opposition’s prime concern is how to save the nation from the BJP to destroy the country.
Meanwhile, scared after the Delhi Police action in the campus, the students have vacated the hostels on Monday and moved to their homes.
The Supreme Court Monday said it will hear on December 18 plea of former Maharaja of Tripura Pradyot Kishor Deb Barman challenging the constitutional validity of the CAA. A bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde said it will hear the plea along with other pending matters coming up for hearing on December 18.