New Delhi: Under intense attack, HRD Minister Smriti Irani on

Wednesday made a forceful statement in Lok Sabha, saying Kanhaiya Kumar

and some other students had been found indulging in anti-national activities
by the JNU authorities themselves.

The Smriti Script

One liners from HRD minister Smriti Iranis speech in the Lok Sabha, Some
of the voices are uttered in choking voice.

Mujhe sooli par chadhana chahte ho Amethi ladne ki saza doge

mujhe? (You wish to hang me, punish me for contesting from
Amethi?) Irani had contested against Rahul Gandhi.
I am not certifying your patriotism but dont demean mine. I have my
idea of India, dont demean it.
A mother who gives birth cannot take lives.
Some people say children have committed mistakes and we should
forgive them. In JNU some children have been mobilised against the
state.
One pamphlet in JNU hails Mahishasur and says Durga, a sex worker,
was hired to kill him. Is anybody willing to take this discourse to the
streets of Calcutta? Who, I want to know, is ready to talk about it in the
streets of Calcutta, the Marxists?
If any VC appointed during UPA regime says I have attempted
saffronisation of education, I will quit politics.

Some of the points made by HRD minister Smriti Irani in the Lok Sabha on
Wednesday and how they fare in an accuracy test.

JNU REPORT
The HRD minister quoted a February 11, 2016, report by the security staff of
JNU that named Umar Khalid, Kanhaiya Kumar, Anirban Bhattacharya and
four other students as being part of a rally two days earlier that had raised a
series of slogans demanding the freedom of Kashmir and the destruction of
India. The security staff of JNU has no link to the government, Irani said.

Fact check: JNU has private security guards but they are hired by the same
university administration that itself faces charges of ceding the varsitys
autonomy to police and the central government after the home minister and
the HRD minister made clear they wanted strict action against the alleged
sloganeers.

JNU PANEL
Irani said: The internal committee of JNU, which includes teachers, the
rector of the university and we didnt appoint any of them
concluded that these students were guilty prima facie, and suspended them
for the period of the inquiry.

Fact check: The universitys internal committee, which was appointed by

JNUs new vice-chancellor, is facing criticism because it suspended the
students without giving them a hearing, and within a day.

TWO LETTERS
Irani cited her ministrys decision to forward Congress MP Hanumantha
Raos letter on Hyderabad University to the institution. The minister did this
to defend the serial letters her team wrote to the varsity, reminding it of a
letter from BJP MP Bandaru Dattatreya. The Opposition has pointed to the
MPs letter and the HRD ministrys active interest as catalysts that pushed
research scholar Rohith Vemula to suicide in January. I have taken up letters
from every MP, even when our ideologies are starkly different, she said.
Fact check: Iranis ministry did forward both letters Raos and Dattatreyas
to Hyderabad University. But equating the two letters is comparing apples
with oranges. Raos letter aimed to alert the HRD minister about the growing
number of Dalit students suicides on the university campus. Dattatreyas
letter proclaimed students of the Ambedkar Students Association (ASA)
that Vemula belonged to as anti-national. While the suicide underscored
the universitys failure to act on Raos letter, Dattatreyas letter and the HRD
ministry reminders were followed up by action from the varsitys executive
council.

ROHITH EXPULSION
The executive council of Hyderabad University decided to expel Vemula
and the other students, Irani said.
Fact check: The executive council only suspended them, and that too only
from their hostels. Irani was also silent about the trigger of the crisis on the
Hyderabad University campus an alleged physical fight between student
activists of the RSS body, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP),
and the ASA. An ABVP leader had accused ASA students of assaulting him
but hospital records suggest he visited a doctor for a prior medical condition
not to treat assault wounds.

MAHISHASUR
Irani referred to celebrations of Mahishasur the demon slayed by Goddess
Durga in JNU, and wondered whether that would be tolerated in Calcutta.
Fact check: The demon is celebrated in many parts of southern India, and
some scholars have suggested his popular, dark-skinned depiction in contrast
to the fair-skinned Durga is a pointer to an Aryan-Dravidian divide. Mysore,
Karnatakas second-largest city, is an anglicised version of Mahishuru
which means the abode of Mahishasura in Kannada.

TEXTBOOKS
Quoting a Class IV teachers guide penned by Narendra Modis bete noire
Teesta Setalvad, Irani said: The book says we should not perpetuate the
theory that ancient India was Hindu and medieval India was Muslim. The
minister quoted two other textbooks to buttress her argument that problematic
school curricula fostered an anti- national mindset among college students.
The book says when we teach Shivaji versus Aurangzeb, we need to decide
which Shivaji do we take into the classroom. Another book says we need to
teach children about the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, about Hindu- Christian riots in
Kanyakumari.

Fact check: Iranis objections to the texts she quoted appear hard to
understand since they seek to present a nuanced narrative of Indias complex
history than a linear, black and white perspective. And the 1984 riots remain
a political blot on the Congress, her principal opponent.
Setelvad issued the following statement on Wednesday night: The Narrative
of Shivaji, used in the Don Bosco school books and Teacher Training
Manuals, was supported by the work of reputed historians like Jadunath
Sarkar and Govind Sakharam Sardesai. It dealt with caste being a major
hurdle in Shivajis coronation. By the way, it was the Shiv Sena that launched
a campaign against me and the state human rights commission ruled in my
favour at the time saying that no enmity was created and it was, in fact, a
rational view of history that was being disseminated.
 2016 JNU sedition controversy
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

JNU, Delhi
In February 2016, a pro-Afzal Guru protest at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) led to protests by
members of the Hindu nationaliststudent union ABVP[1] and the arrest of the JNU Students' Union
President Kanhaiya Kumar and Umar Khalid on charges of sedition.[2]Both the cheering of Afzal Guru
and the arrests a few days later caused controversy.

Contents
[hide]

1Onset
2Government, University, and Students' Union
3Arrest of Student Union leader
o 3.1Response from Political Parties
o 3.2International response
o 3.3Patiala House court assaults
o 3.4Aftermath
4Fabrications
 5Sedition charges against political leaders
6See also
7Notes
8References

Onset[edit]
On 9 February, a cultural evening was organised by 10 students, formerly of the Democratic
Students' Union (DSU), at the Sabarmati Dhaba,[3] against the execution of 2001 Parliament
attack convict Afzal Guru and Kashmiri separatist leader Maqbool Bhat, and for "the struggle of
Kashmiri people for their democratic right to self-determination".[4] The students organising the event
had pasted posters inviting people to gather for a protest march against the "judicial killing of Afzal
Guru and Maqbool Bhatt."[4] The meeting was cancelled by the Vice-Chancellor of JNU a few hours
before the event. But the students insisted on their "freedom of speech" and went ahead with the
event.[5]
According to India Today, "Anti-India" slogans like "Kashmir ki azadi tak jung chalegi, Bharat ki
barbadi tak jung chalegi" ("War will continue till Kashmir's freedom, war will continue till India's
demolition") were "reportedly[by whom?] raised at the protest meet."[4][6] According to journalist Prem
Shankar Jha, a "fracas ensued," and, in the end, the JNU Student Union president Kanhaiya
Kumar gave a speech, where he came out in support of freedom of speech but condemned any act
of violence, terrorism, any terrorist act, or any anti-national activity.[5]

Government, University, and Students' Union[edit]

Members of the JNU branch of ABVP (a student union belonging to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak
Sangh family of organisationsthe Sangh Parivar) protested at the University demanding expulsion
of the student organisers.[1]
The Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (also belonging to the
Sangh Parivar) tweeted "If anyone shouts anti India slogan & challenges nation's sovereignty &
integrity while living in India, they will not be tolerated or spared." [7] He is said to have reacted
following an alert by the Party's Member of ParliamentMaheish Girri.[5]
Kanhaiya Kumar, the president of the Jawaharlal Nehru Students' Union (JNUSU), said: "We are
appalled at the way the entire incident is being used to malign JNU students. At the outset, we want
to condemn the undemocratic slogans that were raised by some people on that day. It is important to
note that the slogans were not raised by members of Left organisations or JNU students."[8]
JNUSU vice-president Shehla Rashid said "We condemn the undemocratic slogans that were raised
by some people on that day. In fact, when the sloganeering had been taking place, it was the Left-
progressive organisations and students, including JNUSU office-bearers, who asked the organisers
to stop the slogans, which were regressive."[9]
JNU administration ordered a "disciplinary" enquiry into the holding of an event on campus against
the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, despite denial of permission, saying any talk
about countrys disintegration cannot be "national". The Universitys move came in wake of protests
by members of ABVP outside the VC office demanding expulsion of students who "misled" the
university about nature of the event.[10]

Arrest of Student Union leader[edit]

The Delhi Police arrested the JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar on charges of sedition and criminal
conspiracy, under section 124 of the Indian Penal Code dating back to 1860.[2][11]
The arrest soon snowballed into a major political controversy, with several leaders of opposition
parties visiting the JNU campus in solidarity with the students protesting against the police
crackdown. Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh reiterated that while the students would
not be harassed, the "guilty would not be spared". Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiran
Rijiju said the JNU would not be allowed to become a hub for "anti-national" activities.[12]
University teachers have criticised the arrest as "excessive police action".[13] JNU students formed a
human chain, demanding that sedition charges against Kanhaiya Kumar be dropped.[14]
Amnesty India, said Kumars arrest and the charges against him are uncalled for and India's
sedition law contrary to international standards on freedom of expression must be repealed.[15]
Response from Political Parties[edit]
The Congress vice-president, Rahul Gandhi said "It seems only the Bharatiya Janata Party and the
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh have the licence to say who is a traitor and who is a patriot".[16]
The general secretary of the Communist Party of Indian (Marxist), Sitaram Yechury, tweeted There
can be no bigger farce than (Nathuram) Godse-worshippers putting out certificates on
nationalism.[16]
International response[edit]
The incident gained International attention with students and teachers of several international
universities, including the University of California and Yale, narrating his seditious speech in
English, and uploading their videos online, with foreign students Dora Zhang and Damon Young,
University of California, Berkeley saying in joint video, We challenge the RSSs definition of
justice...".
More than 500 academics from around the world, including JNU alumni, released a statement in
support of the students, stating that the JNU stands for a vital imagination of the space of a
University that "embraces critical thinking, democratic dissent, student activism, and the plurality of
political beliefs."[17][18][19]
In a separate statement, over 130 world-leading scholars including Noam Chomsky, Orhan
Pamuk, Akeel Bilgrami and Sheldon Pollock called it a "shameful act of the Indian government" to
invoke sedition laws formulated during colonial times to silence criticism.[20][21] Students
from University of California, Berkeley, Yale University and University of London showed their
solidarity by recording videos reading out the speech of Kanhaiya Kumar which was labelled
seditious.[22]
Patiala House court assaults[edit]
The journalists covering this sedition case were assaulted by the lawyers outside the Patiala House
court which led to a protest by the journalists against the violence that took place.[23][24]
On 16 February 2016, the Supreme Court of India has agreed to hear an urgent plea seeking "free
and fair access to justice" to Kanhaiya Kumar, following acts of violence against JNU students and
lecturers as well as a number of journalists at the Patiala House Court premises under the watch of
police.[25] It transferred to the bail plea of Kanhaiya Kumar to the Delhi High Court to ensure his
safety.[26] On February 22, 2016, India today broadcast a video in which three lawyers of the Patiala
House court claim that they beat Kanhaiya Kumar in police custody.[27] A six member Supreme
Court-appointed panel later confirmed that the policemen present at the Court were responsible for
the security lapses, and further stating that police allowed 2 persons to enter the court room, and
continued to let the assault take place, in direct violation of the SC direction on Kanhaiya's safety.[28]
Aftermath[edit]
Kanhaiya Kumar has been granted six month interim bail by the High Court, on 2nd March 2016.
Justice Pratibha Rani noted that there were no recordings of Kumar participating in anti-national
slogans. Going beyond the immediate issue, the judge also held that the alleged slogans threaten
national integrity and cannot be considered as free speech. She characterized them as a form of
"infection," which can either be treated or, in some cases, "amputationi is the only treatment."[29][30] A
separate magisterial investigation appointed by the Delhi Government did not find any evidence of
Kanhaiya Kumar participating in anti-national slogans. Out of the 7 videos of the event sent to
forensic lab, three were found to be doctored including a clipping of a news channel.[31]
The custody of Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharjee has been extended for fourteen days. The
lawyers, involved in Patiala House Court attack, have been arrested by the Delhi Police, after the
sting operation video surfaced. These lawyers are now out on bail.
On 3 March 2016, Kanhaiya Kumar gave a speech to a packed auditorium on the JNU campus, in
which he said he was seeking, not freedom from India, but freedom withinIndia. He appealed to his
fellow students to free the nation from the clutches of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, which he
said was trying to divide the nation. Referring to the ABVP, whose members were instrumental in
bringing about his arrest, he called them his "opposition", not his enemy. He urged his supporters to
keep raising the slogans ofazadi (freedom).[32][33][34]
In a Delhi government report of an investigation of the incident, Kumar was ultimately cleared of any
wrong-doing, said New Delhi district magistrate Sanjay Kumar. Furthermore, doubts were raised as
to whether Pakistan Zindabad slogans had been chanted at the 9 February protest, and questions
were raised about whether it had been outsiders from JNU who had shouted anti-Indian slogans.
The report was not definitive about the role of Khalid in the protest, with District Magistrate Kumar
saying that Khalid's role needed "to be further investigated." Following the submission of the report,
Kumar was released on bail, but Khalid remained in custody. Regarding the controversy of
fabricated videos, District Magistrate Kumar's probe reviewed seven videos sent for verification, and
three were found to have been doctored by having been edited and voices added.[35]

Fabrications[edit]
Zee News reported that some of the students from Democratic Students' Union (DSU) raised
slogans such as "Bharat Ki Barbadi" ("Destruction of India") and " Pakistan Zindabad" ("long live
Pakistan") [36] The Zee News report was found to be based on a misinterpretation by Zee News. In a
letter Vishwa Deepak, one of the Zee News producer of the itmes, stated "Our biases made us hear
Bhartiya Court Zindabad as Pakistan Zindabad." ("long live Indian courts" as "long live Pakistan.")
Subsequently Vishwa Deepak resigned from the channel after expressing reservations over its
'biased coverage'.[37][note 1] The misinterpretation was disclosed when the Aam Aadmi Party filed a
complaint, alleging that ABVP-students raised "Pakistan Zindabad" slogans. The ABVP admitted that
members of their organisation had been present, but shouted "Bharatiya Court Zindabad" and
"Indian Army Zindabad," and filed a counter complaint. The police then declared that "the footage
had been tampered with."[37]
Another video, dated 11 february 2016, which showed a speech by JNU Students' Union President
Kanhaiya Kumar making anti-national slogans, appears to be doctored. According to India Today, "In
the original video, Kanhaiya is asking to end social ills such as caste and communalism not anti
national slogans, experts said."[39][40]
On 14 February 2016, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh alleged that the JNU incident has the
support of the LeT chief Hafiz Saeed.[41] Doubts were soon expressed if this was tied to the
discredited alert by Delhi Police that used a tweet from a fake/parody account.[42]

Sedition charges against political leaders[edit]

A complaint was filed by lawyer Sunkari Janardhan Goud against "Congress vice-president Rahul
Gandhi, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal[,] Communist Party of India (Marxist) General Secretary
Sitaram Yechury [...] Congress leaders Anand Sharma and Ajay Maken, Communist Party of India
leader D. Raja, and Janata Dal (United) spokesperson KC Tyagi."[43] According to Goud, "Gandhi
and other leaders visited Jawaharlal Nehru University despite knowing that Kumar had been
charged with sedition and supported protesting JNU students."[43] According to Goud,
It was absolutely wrong for Rahul Gandhi to visit JNU. I have filed this case against him because he
should not involve himself in such cases in the future. Being a politician and Opposition leader, he
should focus on policies and not on anti-national issues like JNU. They (the JNU students) were
talking about the destruction of India and not any political party.[44]