People suppressing voice of students anti-national: Rahul Gandhi at JNU

New Delhi: Rahul Gandhi and other political leaders on Saturday joined the protest at JNU to demand the release of the student leader, who has been arrested on sedition charge, with the government insisting that the premier university cannot be allowed to be a "hub of anti-national" activities.

Also read: Kashmiri seperatists pledge support to Kanhaiya Kumar, comrades

A day after JNU students' Union (JNUSU) President Kanhaiya Kumar was arrested in a sedition case over an event at the varsity's campus against hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury, CPI National Secretary D Raja and JD(U) spokesperson K C Tyagi met Home Minister Rajnath Singh here to demand his release.

Read: Ex-soldiers threaten to return degrees over 'anti-national' activities in JNU

The JNU row became another point of political tussle with Rahul Gandhi asserting that "most anti-national people are those who are suppressing the voice of students in this institution" and BJP saying that Congress vice president and his friends are "speaking in the voice of LeT terrorist Hafiz Sayeed who had tweeted in support of anti-India event in JNU".

Gandhi and the opposition leaders also attended a meet organised by the JNUSU demanding "immediate and unconditional release of students union president, end to police raj on the campus and witch-hunting of JNU students".

Read: Won't allow JNU to become hub of anti-national acts: Kiren Rijiju

Gandhi was shown black flags by a group of ABVP members. Asserting that JNU cannot be allowed to be a "hub of anti-national activities", Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju said freedom of expression cannot be "absolute and unqualified and reasonable restriction" has to be there.

"This was an unfortunate incident. But these are not small kids who don't know what they do. In the name of freedom of speech you can't abuse the nation," the minister added.

Meanwhile, the Chancellor of the university, K Kasturirangan, today visited the campus and took stock of the situation even as four Deans of JNU wrote to VC Jagdesh Kumar to protest against the manner in which police "crackdown" was "allowed by the university".

Read: Protest at JNU anti-national, should be tackled sternly: Union minister Ananth Kumar

After meeting Rajnath, Yechury said,"We met the Home Minister and apprised him about the tense atmosphere in JNU at present. Delhi Police has released a list of 20 students in connection with the event, which also includes D Raja's daughter, but we are asking are they seen in the video shouting slogans?."

Meanwhile, CPI general secretary S Sudhakar Reddy took up the matter with Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing concerns over the security of Raja and his daughter.

Read: Rahul Gandhi accuses NDA of ‘suppressing’ students’ voice in JNU

In a letter to Modi today, Reddy asked how one can dare threaten a leader of Raja's stature, adding one of the callers identified himself as underground don Ravi Poojari.

"I express my serious concern that there are threatening telephone calls to Comrade Raja that he and his daughter Aparajita, AISF leader in JNU will be shot down if they continue to fight ABVP and RSS.

"One of them claimed he is Ravi Poojari underground don. If there is no security to an MP and well-known senior leader of CPI to whom else you can give security? How dare they threaten a leader of his stature? It is a matter of shame," Reddy said in the letter, which was released to media.

The former Lok Sabha member also urged Modi to be "objective and impartial" and intervene to stop "political vendetta" and instruct Delhi Police to withdraw false case

registered against JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar. Defending Kumar further, Reddy said the action against the JNUSU president took place as the ABVP, students' wing of BJP, was "frustrated" that the AISF leader defeated them.

Reddy also accused the ABVP of "putting" words in mouth of Kumar to prove him as one who shouted "anti-India" slogans. The Communist leader stated that following the death of Hyderabad Central University student Rohith Vemula, there was "unrest" across many varsities and likened the current situation at JNU campus to the days of Emergency.

"Politics and administration should be separated. Political vendetta against all those who do not agree with ABVP is taking place with the help of police and administration. ABVP is frustrated as Kanhaiya Kumar defeated them in elections," he said.

Kanhaiya, member of CPI's student wing AISF, was yesterday arrested in connection with a case of sedition and criminal conspiracy over holding of an event at the prestigious

institute against hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, sparking widespread outrage among students and non-BJP political parties.