JNU students slam govt; say UAPA misused

The JNUSU said that the duo of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah were threatening people of the country by putting them in jail but it would not go on for a long time as there are people who want to save the "spirit of India".

New Delhi: The Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) has opposed the arrest of former student leader Umar Khalid, saying the BJP-led NDA government was "destroying the secular fabric and constitution of India" by putting its critics behind the bars.

Interacting with ETV Bharat here, the JNU students said that BJP leaders like Kapil Mishra and Anurag Thakur, who actually made inflammatory speeches, were not even touched and given the clean chit by the Delhi Police, which works as a "proxy of the central government".

Khalid was arrested late on Sunday night under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for his alleged role in the northeast Delhi riots.

"Innocent students and people are being arrested...all speeches of Umar Khalid are in public domain. He did not say anything wrong. It's there for people to see themselves," said JNU student Madhurima.

She said it's a conspiracy and the government is targeting people who slam it and ask questions.

"We will protest against it. We will be on the roads even during the pandemic," she said, adding all precautions to stop the spread of the disease will be taken.

Two more students from the university expressed similar views and said the students of JNU, Jamia Millia and AMU were being targeted.

The students said that the duo of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah were threatening people of the country by putting them in jail but it would not go on for a long time as there are people who want to save the "spirit of India".

Former JNUSU leader Subhanshu Singh said the government was misusing the UAPA as anyone raising his or her voice against the wrong policies of the government is being arrested and put in jail.