NEW DELHI: The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) on Friday criticised the move to install the national flag in the central university campuses and accused the BJP-led NDA Government of reducing everything to the level of spectacle which would be a very dangerous trend.
“I would rather say that we have ‘tiranga’ in our heart. We learn nationalism not through the flags only but through engagement, discussions, debates. I think they are reducing everything to the level of spectacle which I think is a very dangerous trend,” RJD spokesperson Manoj Jha told ANI here.
Jha also said the Central Government and the HRD Ministry in particular love to live with the ‘symbols’.
“Symbolism cannot take you for long. We have far more important concerns in the university system regarding the discrimination, regarding autonomy and so many other issues which are not discussed,” he added.
The vice-chancellors of 39 central universities resolved to install the national flag “prominently and proudly” in their respective campuses at a meeting chaired yesterday by Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani.
The decision, which is aimed at “instilling nationalism and pride” in students, was one of 12 resolutions passed by the vice-chancellors.
This comes against the backdrop of a raging controversy over anti-India slogans allegedly raised at a February 9 meeting of the students on the JNU campus.