War over student Protests as Parliament begins budget session

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Feb 24 2016:  On the first working day of Parliament, the Rajya Sabha was adjourned within moments over slogan-shouting and protests by the opposition over the suicide of research scholar Rohith Vemula at the Hyderabad Central University last month.

   

BSP leader Mayawati raised the Rohith Vemula suicide in the Rajya Sabha and demanded the government’s response to allegations that the research scholar, a Dalit, was persecuted and two union ministers had a role in it.
   
Shouting slogans, her party members trooped into the well of the House, forcing three adjournments in a matter of just over an hour.
   
Later today, a high-decibel debate is expected when the Rajya Sabha discusses the JNU controversy from 2 pm on Day 2 of the Budget session. At a meeting last evening, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told BJP lawmakers to "debate aggressively."
   
The upper house will discuss "the situation arising in central institutions of higher education with specific reference to Jawaharlal Nehru University and University of Hyderabad." The Congress has sought a similar discussion in the Lok Sabha or lower house.
   
The Congress’ Ghulam Nabi Azad will begin the Rajya Sabha debate, leading a united opposition in an attack on the government over students being charged with sedition for an event at JNU earlier this month where anti-India slogans were raised. "They misused the sedition clause," alleged Left leader Sitaram Yechury yesterday.
   
The government will defend the sedition charge against the students and its speakers are expected to quote a Supreme Court order on anti-India slogans amounting to sedition. Bhupendra Yadav from Rajasthan will be the BJP’s first speaker and the ruling party will also field Tarun Vijay and MJ Akbar.
   
"The government is working fine and has a lot to show. The opposition is raking up non-issues like JNU and the party needs to debate and contest aggressively," PM Modi is said to have told the BJP’s top leaders at a meeting in Parliament on Tuesday evening.
   
BJP chief Amit Shah and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, too, briefed party lawmakers on the JNU controversy. Mr Jaitley, a well-known lawyer, covered the sedition law and other legal aspects of the case, sources said.
   
The party’s lawmakers were told to counter the opposition by citing the arrest of Kashmiri terrorist Muhammad Ghauri from JNU during the Congress-led UPA’s rule. They have also been told to bring up how two Army officers were beaten up badly on the university campus.
   
At a separate meeting on Tuesday of allies, the Shiv Sena backed the BJP’s plan to go aggressive on the JNU issue but advised caution on the student’s suicide. "The case involves a Dalit student and an aggressive stance will hurt the government and all parties in the alliance," a senior leader told NDTV.