Heated debate in Rajya Sabha over JNU row, Rohith​ Vemula's suicide; Smriti​ Irani's reply cut short

Delhi: For the second straight day, HRD Minister Smriti Irani on Thursday made a strong defence of the government's actions with regard to JNU issue and suicide of Dalit student in Hyderabad University in the face of intense attack by the opposition which alleged that attempts were being made to suppress dissent.

Irani, who was ballistic in the Lok Sabha yesterday, was comparatively mellowed down in the Rajya Sabha today as she replied to questions raised on her performance as also that of the HRD ministry under her.

She said she had been "rightly" advised by someone to be calm.

Opposition slams BJP

The debate, which was started by Communist Party of India-Marxist's (CPI-M) Sitaram Yechury, saw Opposition parties condemning the police action in the JNU incident, and violence at Patiala House court, as well a the circumstances around the suicide of Vemula, following his suspension from the University of Hyderabad.

Yechury accused the NDA government of attempting to turn India into a Hindu Rashtra and demanded that a house committee probe the issues arising out of the unrest in JNU, Hyderabad University and other institutions.

The government's undue "interference which is not sanctioned by the law" in the working of the educational institutions is aimed at promoting their agenda of Hindu Rashtra, he said while initiating a debate on the issue.

"It's an effort to replace secular India with a Hindu nation," he said.

On his part, Ramdas Athavale of RPI (A) said Vemula's suicide is a serious issue and action needs to be taken against the perpetrators.

"If anti-India slogans have been raised in JNU then this should be seriously investigated. Nationalism should be respected. Action should be taken against those who raise such slogans," he added.

Athavale said "if a lesson needs to be taught to Pakistan, then India should attack it and free the parts of Jammu and Kashmir that it has captured."

Jaitley targets Congress, Left on sedition issue

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, meanwhile, said the government agreed that there should be freedom in universities, but questioned how can "vandalism" be condemned while "sedition" is called free speech.

"What happened in Patiala House (court) is condemnable. But vandalism is condemnable, and sedition is free speech? Nobody can subscribe to this ideology and least of all should Congress party subscribe to this ideology," Jaitley said, intervening in the debate.

His reference to "vandalism" was to the incidents on February 15 of some students and media persons being roughed up at Patiala House courts complex where Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union president Kanhaiya Kumar, arrested for sedition, was being presented before a judge.

"Of course vandalism should be condemned," Jaitley said.

"We all know what (executed parliament attack convict) Afzal Guru represented... He was not protesting against 'Manuvaad',' capitalism', or 'Brahmanism' that they will raise slogans against Manuvaad and capitalism on his martyrdom day," the minister said, referring to the event organised on February 9 at the JNU where anti-national slogans were allegedly raised, as per IANS.

House adjourned after uproar over Irani's comments

On the other hand, Irani's reply to a short duration discussion, however, was cut short as the House was abruptly adjourned after uproar over her certain comments which she made while alleging that some elements in JNU had published derogatory pamphlets about Goddess Durga.

As she narrated the descriptive details of the pamphlets, Anand Sharma of Congress took objection, saying it could set a precedent and in future somebody else could repeat it with regard to Gods of other religions.

"What is happening here? This is too much. It's a dangerous precedent. Every religious leader and deity has been derogatorily referred by some persons. Will all this be discussed here? Can we allow it here. Then there will be a war in the House," Sharma said, as per PTI.

Irani insisted with her reference, saying it was imperative to counter the charge levelled against her.

Responding to objections, Deputy Chairman PK Kurian said she has authenticated what she had said. "What can I do?" he said.

With the Opposition remaining unrelenting, he adjourned the House till tomorrow. 

(With Agency inputs)