Several police officials were deployed to New Delhi late Tuesday to maintain order amid protests against the Friday arrest of JNU students’ union leader, Kanhaiya Kumar, on sedition charges.
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The prime minister called the meeting to seek the cooperation of opposition parties for a smooth functioning of parliament’s budget session starting on February 23.
Among those who attended were Anand Sharma and Ghulam Nabi Azad of the Congress, Mohammed Salim of the Communist Party of India-Marxist and Derek O’Brien of the Trinamool Congress.
Meanwhile, attacking the Delhi Police, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal tweeted: “Del Pol openly flouting SC orders”.
The court ordered the DCP (New Delhi) Jatin Narwal, who was present in the court room, to take appropriate action to ensure that Kanhaiya is being taken to the jail safely and also directed the jail authorities to ensure his safety there.
The group, which could be seen raising slogans “Vande Mataram” and waving India’s flag in the court premises, was led by Vikram Chauhan, one of the lawyers who had attacked JNU students and faculty on Monday.
Kanhaiya Kumar, head of the student union at Delhi’s JNU, was rushed from a auto through a gate into the court by police officers protecting him with a riot shield.
The petition said the violence witnessed in the court not only endangered the life of JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar, arrested in a case of sedition, but also prevented journalists from carrying out their work of reporting court proceedings.
“We don’t require you here, leave or you will be harmed”, a reporter from Indian broadcaster NDTV said she was told before her phone was snatched.
Some commentators and legal experts fault the government for exploiting the colonial-era sedition law to silence its opponents, when it should instead have left college rectors to manage what they say is no more than exuberant student debate.
Senior counsel Harin Rawal, who would compile the report, would also submit a copy of the video recording of all that transpired in Patiala House Court complex during their visit. Journalist unions demanded better protection for reporters in the field, and accused police of standing by during the attacks. “The university can deal with these issues internally”, he said.
Replying to questions, he said use of force would have been counter-productive.
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The students at the Film and Television Institute of India too have spoken up in support of the students at the JNU. But before the student arrived there, two groups of lawyers clashed as they shouted competing slogans supporting or deriding JNU or the prestigious Jawaharlal Nehru University.
