Opposition parties demand judicial probe into police action against Jamia students

Congress and other opposition parties on Monday condemned the police "brutality" against students of Jamia Millia Islamia and demanded a probe by a Supreme Court judge into incidents of students being thrashed in the campus. Senior leaders of the Congress, Left parties, SP and RJD addressed a press conference, saying the police action on students inside the Jamia campus is not acceptable in a democracy.

Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Kapil Sibal, CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury, CPI's D Raja, RJD's Manoj Jha, SP's Javed Ali Khan and Sharad Yadav condemned Sunday's police action against students and said they had sought time from President Ram Nath Kovind and would take up the issue with him. Sources said the opposition leaders would meet the president on Tuesday evening to raise the issue since it pertained to unrest in central universities that came directly under his purview.

"How could the police enter Jamia and unleash such brutality on the students when university authorities did not allow the police to enter inside," Azad asked. "There should be a judicial probe into the violence against students by police in the Jamia campus," he said.

Azad also rejected as baseless the charges levelled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Congress behind the violent protests. "It is wrong to make such accusations and we condemn it," he said. The Congress leader said the entire country is opposed to this "untenable and unconstitutional" law and there would have been no unrest had the central government not brought it.

He claimed that though the leaders of a few parties were present at the press meet, the support of all opposition parties was there with them. He said all parties were together in solidarity with the agitating students. Yechury demanded a probe by a Supreme Court judge in the incident. "Whoever gave the permission to allow the police to enter the Jamia campus should be brought to book and punished," he said.

He said it was not a Hindu-Muslim issue and cannot be linked to religion, and asked the people not to fall prey to rumours as the act was an affront to the Constitution. "It is the ruling party and Government of India which are behind the violence. Had the government not brought in this law, there would not have been such violence. The prime minister, home minister and the Cabinet responsible for this violence," he alleged.

Raja said that those who gave the orders for police entry in Jamia should be bought to book and punished. "There is a civil war-like situation in the country for which Union Home Minister Amit Shah and the prime minister should be held responsible," Raja said.

"Amit Shah must be held responsible for such brutality by the police. What is the response of the home minister, where is he," Raja asked. He termed the situation very horrific and alleged that they had plunged the entire northeast, east India and the entire country in turmoil.

Sibal said the violence and riots that happen due to government action are very dangerous. "We have to keep this in mind, this matter is not going to end here," the Congress leader said. He said a commission of inquiry led by a Supreme Court judge should be set up to probe how the violence took place.

He accused the home minister of making "untrue" claims. "When a home minister speaks 'untruth' before a country for votebank politics and creates a wedge between Hindus and Muslims, it is a very shameful thing for the country," Sibal said. "The history of civilisation is the history of tyranny by majoritarianism," Sibal said.

Sharad Yadav said that either the government or the amended act would remain in place and added the opposition was not going to stop here. Raja also said that the Left parties would hold a countrywide protest on December 19 and appealed to all secular and democratic forces to join the agitation.

Yechury said they would take this movement forward across India and added that they condemned any kind of violence. He said that the police entering a university without permission was unacceptable in a democracy. He said that there was turmoil in three central universities in Delhi and it was because of government interference. "It is an ideological project for the BJP," Yechury said, asking where was the home minister.

SP's Javed Ali Khan said confusion was being spread by the government and a high-level judicial probe should be conducted into it. "We also demand that a special session of Parliament be convened and this law be recalled," Khan demanded.

RJD's Manoj Jha said that the legislative majority has tried to decimate constitutional morality. Whatever has happened in Jamia, history will not forgive, he added. He said a call has been given for Bihar bandh on December 21, he said.