In Campus Violence Barb, P Chidambaram Refers To 'Student Leader' Arun Jaitley

New Delhi: An "alliance of subversion" was responsible for violence on university campuses, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said on Saturday, drawing a prompt rebuttal from the Congress which questioned the former student leader's track record in return. Contending that separatists and "the ultra-Left" were speaking the same language in certain campuses, Mr Jaitley said they must allow others with different opinions to speak. The remarks came amid a raging row over the violence at Delhi's Ramjas College over an invitation for a seminar to Jawaharlal Nehru University student Umar Khalid, who had been accused of sedition over an event last year where anti-India slogans were allegedly raised.

"Any idea which thinks in terms of disintegration of (the) country is something I abhor. Within the framework of upholding the sovereignty of (the) country, we can ideologically differ but free speech does not permit you to assault the sovereignty of the country," Mr Jaitley said, while delivering a talk at the London School of Economics.

Stressing that he did not believe that there was "any space for violence" on campus, Mr Jaitley said, "I personally believe that free speech in India and in any society, has to be debated. If you believe, you have free speech to assault the sovereignty of the country, then be ready to concede free speech to counter that."

"I find this absolutely strange that an argument is being raised that I have free speech to advocate that India should be broken into pieces and those who oppose me are hindering that right to free speech. Well, they too have a right to free speech," he said.

"Violence is not the method; no group can and should use violence...there is an alliance of subversion which is taking place. The separatists and the ultra-Left are speaking the same language in certain university campuses. So they must be willing to allow others with a different opinion to put a counter viewpoint," he said.

Responding to the comments, senior Congress leader P Chidambaram asked whether Mr Jaitley was heading an "alliance of subversion" when he was heading the Delhi University students union in 1975.

"When Mr Jaitley was President of DUSU in 1975, was he heading an 'Alliance of Subversion'?" the former Finance and Home Minister tweeted.

With inputs from PTI