New Delhi: Union home minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday said that the JNU stir received “support” from Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed, a statement that evoked strong reactions from his political opponents.
CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury said the home minister has to come out and share the evidence he has with the country to back up his “serious allegation”. CPI leader D Raja also demanded that the evidence be made public.
“If there is evidence, then act accordingly that is what we have been saying, CPM leader Sitaram Yechury said.
“Take necessary action but don’t use that as a pretext to attack progressive, cultural and secular values,” he said.
National Conference leader Omar Abdullah also said it is a “very serious charge” to level against the students and that the evidence must be shared with all.
In a series of tweets, Omar, a former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, said the Home Minister must go public with the evidence collected that enabled him to level the charge against the JNU students.
“That #HafizSaeed supported the #JNU protests is a very serious charge to level against the students. The evidence must be shared with all,” he said. “Cracking down on students & using #HafizSaeed to justify the crack down is a new low, even for this NDA government.”
Earlier, speaking on the ongoing row at the JNU, Rajnath Singh said, “The incident at JNU has received support from Hafiz Saeed. This is a truth that the nation needs to understand.”
“Never should have something been done which puts a question mark over the country’s sovereignty and integrity. On such occasions, the entire country should be speaking in one voice. I would also appeal all political parties not to view such episodes through the prism of political gains and losses,” Singh told reporters in Allahabad.
Asked about the investigation regarding the JNU incident, he said, “Necessary instructions have been given (to the authorities concerned). I have made one thing clear that those who are found guilty should face action but the ones who are not, should not be harassed at any cost.”
Responding to questions on the arrest of JNU Student’s Union president Kanhaiya Kumar and allegations that he may have been falsely implicated, the home minister said, “We should allow the investigation to take place unhindered. The police must have acted on the basis of some evidence.”