Lawyers protest JNU ‘sedition’ incident, demand action against ‘anti-nationals’

Tribune News Service

Jammu, February 18

Advocates, students and social activists today protested against the alleged raising of anti-national slogans by students of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in New Delhi on February 9.

Lawyers of the J&K High Court held a demonstration and demanded action against JNU students who had raised anti-India slogans. It was also decided that lawyers would suspend work on Friday against anti-national activities in JNU. A call of protest was given by the Young Lawyers Association (YLA), J&K, and joined by all senior advocates.

Vice-president of the YLA Pardeep Majotra, while addressing the gathering, said advocates of the country would not tolerate those indulging in anti-national activities by misusing “freedom of expression”.

While dubbing the JNU incident as highly provocative as some students have openly challenged the Indian state, Majotra said the fight against anti-national forces would be intensified and those who had been indulging in such activities should be punished. He said allowing such activities in different parts of the country would encourage anti-national forces.

Daljeet Singh Manhas, Prem Sadotra, Rajesh Thappa, Vishal Sadotra, Rohan Nanda, Zulfikar, M S Qureshi and other young lawyers also addressed the gathering.

Activists of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) staged demonstrations at various places in the Jammu region. At Kathua Degree College, a demonstration was held in front of the main gate of the college. The demonstration was led by Rahul Dev. Similar protests were held in other colleges of the Jammu region.

At RS Pura, a large number of BJP activists, led by Dr Gagan Bhagat and Choudhary Sham Lal (both MLAs), staged a demonstration against the JNU incident. BJP activists also raised slogans against the Congress and Left parties for supporting “anti-national” students of JNU.

Activists of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), led by state president Dr Suresh Magotra, held a demonstration in Jammu against the JNU incident and demanded action against the JNU students allegedly involved in raising anti-national slogans.