Rohith Vemula is my icon, not Afzal Guru: Kanhaiya Kumar

New Delhi: A day after making a fiery speech at Jawahar Lal Nehru University, JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar on Friday thanked everyone who supported the movement initiated by him.

Addressing the media, Kumar said, “People from all walks of life supported us.”

“I want to tell everyone and those who are taxpayers of this country that JNU students are patriotic and not anti-nationals. It is an attempt to defame our university. JNU has never and will never support anything unconstitutional. Video can be doctored, but not Constitution," he said. 

"Sacrifice of farmers, jawans and Rohith Vemula will not go wasted. Whenever a revolution started, government tried to suppress it. The sedition law was made by British to suppress us," he added. 

Referring Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Kumar said, "We don't have any personal grudges against you. We have ideological differences."

On the Afzal Guru issue, he said, "As a JNUSU president, I call him a citizen of India who was prosecuted by the Indian law. For me Rohith Vemula is icon, not Afzal Guru."

Kanhaiya who was booked over sedition charges was released on Thursday. 

The JNUSU president today announced that he will campaign for upcoming Kerala and West Bengal Assembly polls for the Left Front.

However, denying that he is a politician, he said, "I'm a student, not politician. Glad that JNU chose me."

West Bengal will see balloting on seven dates in a six-phase election: April 4, 11, 17, 21, 25 and 30 and May 5.

Kerala will see election on  May 16.