Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday re-tweeted the links of speeches made in Parliament by some BJP leaders on the JNU row and Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula's suicide.
He wrote on the micro-blogging site Twitter: "RTing some of the speeches by my party colleagues in both Houses of Parliament. Each address was rich on facts and logic."
RTing some of the speeches by my party colleagues in both Houses of Parliament. Each address was rich on facts & logic.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 25, 2016
Some of the leaders whose links the PM posted were Bhupender Yadav, Anurag Thakur, Venkaiah Naidu and Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.
My speech in Rajya Sabha today on discussion on situation arising in JNU & HCU https://t.co/1cVIelahoS
— Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) February 25, 2016
Shri @MVenkaiahNaidu's speech on motion of thanks on the President's Address in Rajya Sabha - https://t.co/Auwhk8PqNY
— Yuva TV (@YuvaiTV) February 25, 2016
Video link to my speech in #LokSabha on #JNU issue: https://t.co/4gm3TWKZls
— Anurag Thakur (@ianuragthakur) February 24, 2016
Shri @byadavbjp’s comments on the situation arising in JNU and HCU in Rajya Sabha - https://t.co/hd9rF8yZkN
— Yuva TV (@YuvaiTV) February 25, 2016
Functioning for nearly the whole day after a long time, the Rajya Sabha today witnessed an intense debate on the recent incidents in JNU and Vemula's suicide, even as HRD Minister Smriti Irani's reply was cut short due to protests which lead to its adjournment for the day.
As the House saw proceedings without any disruptions due to protests, the debate saw several heated-up moments, where the treasury and Opposition members engaged in fierce arguments.
Defending the government actions, the Human Resource Development Minister said it was not the first time police entered the Jawaharlal Nehru University campus.
She also said that she talked to Vemula's mother often, but people don't know about it.
However, touching upon the JNU issue, Irani referred to "Mahishasur Martyrdom Day" observed in JNU, when the scene got ugly.
As she read out a document on Mahishasur Puja, referring to the demon slain by the goddess Durga, which she said came from JNU, it created a huge uproar among the Opposition.
"When they went to JNU they wanted insult of gods and goddesses be within freedom of speech. What was the need for (Congress vice president) Rahul Gandhi to accept such insult of gods," Irani said amid ruckus in the house, leading to its adjournment for the day.
The debate, which was started by Communist Party of India-Marxist's (CPI-M) Yechury, saw Opposition parties condemning the police action in the JNU incident, and violence at Patiala House court, as well a the circumstances around the suicide of Vemula, following his suspension from the University of Hyderabad.
Yechury accused the NDA government of attempting to turn India into a Hindu Rashtra and demanded that a house committee probe the issues arising out of the unrest in JNU, Hyderabad University and other institutions.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, meanwhile said the government agreed that there should be freedom in universities, but questioned how can "vandalism" be condemned while "sedition" is called free speech.
"What happened in Patiala House (court) is condemnable. But vandalism is condemnable, and sedition is free speech? Nobody can subscribe to this ideology and least of all should Congress party subscribe to this ideology," Jaitley said, intervening in the debate.
His reference to "vandalism" was to the incidents on February 15 of some students and media persons being roughed up at Patiala House courts complex where Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union president Kanhaiya Kumar, arrested for sedition, was being presented before a judge.
BJP's Bhupendra Yadav said that what has been happening in the JNU is not "freedom of expression" but "expression of freedom from India", referring to campus events where students allegedly voiced support for Kashmiri separatists.
"Freedom of expression is there in the constitution. But what happened in JNU, was it freedom of expression or expression of freedom from the country? Was it freedom of speech or speech for freedom?" he asked.
(With IANS inputs)
