JNU attack ‘descent into fascism’, buck stops with Amit Shah: Chidambaram

The former union minister said the perpetrators of the attack must be identified and brought to justice within 24 hours.

“This incident is perhaps the most clinching evidence that we are rapidly descending into anarchy. It happened in the national capital in India’s foremost University under the watch of Central govt, Home Minister, L-G and Police Commissioner. This is the gravest act of impunity that we have seen in recent times. Nothing can be more shocking and shameful,” Chidambaram said.

Condemning the violence, Chidambaram said Patnaik must be held accountable as the buck starts with the Delhi Police commissioner and stops with the Home Minister.

“Did not the Delhi Police have any intelligence on this planned assault? If they did not, their intelligence gathering was pathetic, if they did, it was an atrocious failure of responsibility. In either event, the Commissioner of Police must be held accountable,” he said.

As many as 26 students and teachers were injured after a group of masked men wielding sticks, rods and sledgehammers terrorised the varsity for close to three hours on Sunday evening. Eyewitnesses said the attacks were carried out by the ABVP — a charge the RSS student outfit denied. Students from various colleges in Mumbai and those in Aligarh Muslim University and Jadavpur University in Kolkata held overnight peaceful protests in solidarity with their counterparts in JNU.

Eyewitnesses accused police of failing to stop the mob from entering the campus or ending the violence sooner, despite calls from JNU as well as frantic students and teachers. Among those injured were 22 students, including JNU Students’ Union (JNUSU) president Aishe Ghosh, two teachers and two guards, who have been admitted to AIIMS and Safdarjung Hospital.

Speaking on the Citizenship Amendment Act, Chidambaram called it “patently discriminatory” as it excludes Muslims and three neighbouring countries — Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Bhutan — from its purview.

“Let me make it clear: we are NOT opposed to granting refuge and eventually citizenship to any person included under the CAA; our concerns arise regarding the persons excluded under the CAA. it is obvious that the exclusions are deliberate, pre-meditated and intended to harass, humiliate and strip a section of the people of their citizenship. The answer to the problem of refugees is not the CAA but a humane and non-discriminatory Law on Refugees,” he said.

On the proposed nationwide National Register of Citizens, Chidambaram said it is a “sinister and mischievous plan to divide India”.

“f the State suspects that a person is not a citizen, the burden of proving that the person is not a citizen lies on the State. On the contrary, under NRC, the burden of proving that he is a citizen falls upon the person concerned. This is contrary to the basic tenets of a democracy,” he said.