Pradeep Narwal, Rahul Yadav and Ankit Hans have resigned from their positions in the ABVP
Highlights
- 3 ABVP leaders studying in JNU quit group over 'ideological differences'
- Police action at JNU, Rohith Vemula's suicide among reasons for quitting
- Their resignation letter also criticizes government's handling of JNU row
Protesting against the government's "oppression of the student community",
three leaders of the BJP's youth wing have quit their posts at the Jawaharlal Nehru University or JNU, where a student from a rival group has been arrested on sedition charges.
Pradeep Narwal, Rahul Yadav and Ankit Hans have resigned from their positions in the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad or ABVP, which had complained last week about anti-India slogans raised at an on-campus event by Kanhaiya Kumar.
Mr Kumar was arrested on Saturday and was accused by the police of sedition, which carries a maximum punishment of life imprisonment. He was punched and
kicked while being taken into a Delhi court yesterday; inside, his lawyer claims, he was hit once more by a man who calmly walked away despite the police being present. Mr Kumar, 28, was told yesterday that he will spend another 14 days in jail.
"Kanhaiya is accused, try him. If you want to give him lifetime punishment, give (it to) him," said Mr Narwal, one of the three ABVP leaders who has resigned. He said Mr Kumar's fate must be decided by court. "Don't make our culture Talibani," he said on NDTV. However, top leaders of the ABVP at the same university said they have yet to receive the resignations.
The opposition and large sections of students and teachers at JNU have criticized the arrest of Mr Kumar, who is president of a Leftist students' union, as a flagrant use of force to crush dissent and free speech.
But the police and government say that
Mr Kumar made anti-national remarks, including some in support of Afzal Guru, who was hanged three years ago for masterminding the attack on Parliament in 2001.
The controversy was inflamed on Monday by a group of violent lawyers who beat up reporters and supporters of Mr Kumar before he arrived at court. Yesterday, many of the same lawyers delivered a rioting sequel. In both cases, the police did not intervene.
The trio of ABVP leaders who have quit their positions said they support neither the contentious event at JNU last week, nor the violence that has followed.
But other ABVP members allege that those who have resigned are enrolled in courses where Left-leaning unions are dominant, and quit in a confluence of fear and pressure.