NEW DELHI: Members of CPI(M) and the BJP on Friday clashed in Rajya Sabha over Jawaharlal Nehru University students’ protest against the hostel fee hike.
Through a Zero Hour mention, K K Ragesh of the CPM raised the matter and sought a judicial probe into police action against agitating students.
Immediately after this, BJP’s Prabhat Jha raised the issue of “defacement” of a yet-to-be-unveiled statue of Swami Vivekananda on the JNU campus.
He then went on to raise the issue of alleged anti-India slogans being raised by students of JNU and demanded the central government’s oversight of activities in JNU. This was strongly countered by Left members.
Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu first cut short Ragesh, who was speaking on the police action on JNU students and after Jha had spoken, said that only submission on the JNU fee hike and defacement of the Vivekananda statue was admitted.
Ragesh said JNU students have been protesting for over one month demanding rollback of the fee hike and restoration of democratic rights on campus. He asked why civil liberties were being “suppressed” after declaring an “undeclared emergency”.