NEW DELHI: Jawaharlal Nehru Student Union (JNUSU) president Kanhaiya Kumar addressed students for the first time out of the university campus on Tuesday, as he led a protest march demanding release of Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya.
However, the numbers in Tuesday’s protest were much less than the previous two similar “People's march to save democracy" protests held by the Student’s Union in Delhi for the past one month.
During the almost one hour speech three people made attempts to disrupt Kumar’s speech, they were later detained by Police.
Taking pot shots at the Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Smriti Irani, Kumar said “Decisions about the functioning of the institution are being taken by a person who never went to any institution. Decision such as who should be the Vice chancellor of the varsity should be taken by all. She calls us her children, but has she ever spoken to my mother or Rohith Vemula's mother.”
Amit one of the three people who tried to interrupt Kumar’s speech told Express “People who are talking about breaking the country are given such protection and getting so much attention, will not let anyone break the country”.
Kanhiya Kumar in his speech said “I have an account Modi ji in which you can fulfill your promise of transferring Rs 15 lakh of the recovered black money. In the last two years since the BJP government is in power there has not been one Acha Din.”
Kumar who has been served a show cause notice by the varsity further touched on various topics, he was joined by Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Sitaram Yechury and Communist Party of India leader D. Raja.
Reiterating his stand Kumar said “I am not joining mainstream politics, have always been the prison of the movement and will remain so. Everybody is attacking JNU saying it runs on tax-payers money but about Vijay Mallya who also used tax-payer's money and escaped to London. What did they (govt) do about it,".
Yechury expressing solidarity said “The current HRD ministry has become Hindu Rashtra Development ministry, which is getting all its direction from Nagpur (RSS headquarters)”.
"If universities are being attacked, I want to tell you all that trust your children. There are some people who want to spread anarchy. But don't be afraid of them. You have to tell them that you cannot do all this. We will not tolerate any attack like this," Kanhaiya further added.
Meanwhile Court extended the judicial custody of Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya by 14 days, who have been accused of raising anti-national slogans in the varsity campus on the evening of February 9.