JNU attack a fascist surgical strike: Mamata
Gangasagar Island/Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday hit out at the Centre over the mob attack that was carried out on the students of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on Sunday, terming it to be an Emergency-like situation and a "fascist surgical strike".
"I condemn the violence at JNU on Sunday. It was a pre-planned attack. It was a fascist surgical strike. It was a barbaric attack on the students in which female students and teachers were also not spared. We saw similar attacks on the students at Aligarh Muslim University, JNU and IIT, Kanpur. There has been a series of attacks on other institutions as well," said Banerjee, while briefing media here on Monday afternoon.
"Though I am in politics, I started my career as a student leader. So, I know the student politics very well. Nowadays, the situation is very disturbing. It is shameful to speak about how democracy is being attacked by a planted game. If anyone speaks anything, they [government] refer them as Pakistani," Banerjee added.
The Chief Minister wondered as to how could the outsiders enter the university with arms.
"Today, I sent a team including Dinesh Trivedi, Manas Bhunia, Vivek Gupta and Sajda Ahmed to Delhi. They were not allowed to enter JNU. They had gone to give moral support to the students. The team will also visit Sahibabad. We are with the students. I appeal to all my student brothers and sisters to stay united and speak together. They must fight the battle together," she maintained.
Slamming the BJP, Banerjee said: "After coming to power if this party is out to destroy all the institutions, then how can they run the country?"
She further added: "The situation is very serious. Our democracy is in danger. Ours is a secular country. We don't support Pakistan. It is a different country. It is a fundamentalist country."
Meanwhile, BJP state president Dilip Ghosh, while reacting to the brutal attack, said: "As you sow, so shall you reap. They have been paid back."
North Kolkata Trinamool Youth Congress took out a rally from Moulali to Dorina Crossing, condemning the attack. The workers demanded the arrest of those involved in the incident.
The students of Jadavpur and Presidency University took out rallies condemning the attack on JNU students. The JU students carried placards lending support to their JNU peers. The students shouted "Down with fascism. We support the students of JNU."
"After failing to counter the students' demand to roll back the fee hike, the University authorities let loose the goons to beat up students in order to scare them. The movement will continue and we will resist the fascist attack on the students," said Debalina Sengupta, a JU Arts student.
The students of Presidency University wore black badges in support.
Youth Congress and DSO also took out rallies on College Street condemning the attack. "What a shame. The innocent students were beaten up by masked goons. The lights around the JNU campus were switched off. Where are we going," said Tamali Bhattacharya, a Youth Congress activist.
