A Delhi court on Monday asked the police to file an action taken report on a plea seeking lodging of FIR against JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar and others for allegedly raising anti-Brahmin slogans and burning a copy of an ancient socio-religious text of Manusmriti.
Meanwhile, JNU students who were asked to “explain their position” in connection to this, have in turn questioned the administration.
“Police is directed to file Action Taken Report (ATR). Put up the matter for further hearing on June 1,” Metropolitan Magistrate Lovleen said. During the brief hearing, complainant Ajay Gautam told the court that he, being a Brahmin, felt offended after watching on Youtube JNU students’ union president Kanhaiya Kumar and other students including Umar Khalid allegedly raising slogans against Hindu religion and Brahmin caste. He further said that on March 8, 2016, some students of JNU had allegedly burnt copies of socio-religious text Manusmriti in the campus during a demonstration.
Gautam contended he had fundamental right to practice any religion, faith under the constitution and no one can say he wants ‘Azadi’ (freedom) from one caste or others. He urged the court to direct the police to file the ATR, saying the acts of the accused persons were highly illegal, unjustified, actionable and un-ignorable and they were liable to be punished under the law.
Meanwhile, JNU students have questioned the administration about what is wrong in it. Weeks after the controversial event against Afzal Guru’s hanging was held on campus, five ABVP rebels joined by left-backed All India Students Association (AISA) and Congress-affiliated National Students Union of India (NSUI) burnt sections of Manusmriti text at Sabarmati Dhaba on March 8, which was also the venue of the earlier event. The JNU administration had last week issued notices to five students asking them to explain their “position” in connection with the event despite the varsity administration denying permission for it. “What is wrong in burning copies of Manusmriti? Protesting against anything which we find derogatory is our right. Also this is not the first time that copies of that book have been burnt by us,” one of the students said in his response to the administration.