January 6, 2020
What happened at JNU was an absolutely fascist surgical strike: Mamata Banerjee
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today spoke to the press about the merciless beating up of students at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and accused the BJP of whipping up an atmosphere of hatred and violence across the country, and targetting educational institutions especially.
Highlights of her interaction:
Today I am a full-time politician. But I started my political career as a student leader, as a student worker, and so I know student politics very well.
I am seeing now how they are torturing students, and even professors. It is shameful.
Whoever speaks against them, they paint the person as if they are an enemy of the country.
Pakistan is not a democratic country but I can proudly say India is. But look at what happened at JNU, JMI, IIT, Vishwa-Bharati, etc.
Then, there is the issue of the CISF being used for individual security. They are supposed to protect industrial installations, institutions, etc. They are meant for protecting the assets of the country.
But now so many BJP leaders in my State have CISF as their personal security, and these leaders do not work in the interests of the country.
Delhi Police is not in Arvind Kejriwal’s hands so the Centre is doing whatever it likes. It keeps them inactive and lets the BJP party people do whatever they feel like. This is absolutely wrong, this is an absolutely fascist surgical strike.
We have seen this type of situation elsewhere too – Lucknow, Moradabad, etc. Look at what is happening at Shaheen Bagh.
In politics, governments come and governments go. But even if in the majority, no party has the right to do whatever it feels like. We all have to work according to the Constitution.
I will appeal to all student communities to be together, and to fight together against this Government. What we have said about CAA, NRC and NPR, that is their main concern too. So let us fight together. We all are with the student community.
I have told my team that has gone to Delhi to first meet the students of JNU, and then will go to ShaheenBagh to meet the people.
You have seen what they did at Jadavpur University (JU), how even the holder of a constitutional post interacted with students. In fact, not just JU; they are targeting all institutions. I think such types of things should not be done.
Now it is a very dangerous situation in the country. I do not know what will happen tomorrow. It is just like we are seeing a second freedom struggle.
