Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Monday termed the attack on students and teachers at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) as a “disturbing and fascist strike” by the BJP.
Banerjee, who is also the TMC supremo, said she had begun her political career as a student leader but never before witnessed such “brazen attack” on educational institutes.
“Whatever is happening across the country is very disturbing… I, too, was involved in student politics at one point in time, but never before have I witnessed this sort of an attack on students and educational institutions…Yesterday’s was a fascist strike on the student community,” Banerjee told reporters, before leaving for her three-day trip to Gangasagar.
Whoever raised voice against the BJP was dubbed an “anti national” or a “Pakistani”, she claimed.
“India is a democracy and we have our right to protest. How can someone be branded anti-national or Pakistani for his or her protest against the government,” Banerjee questioned.
Sunday, too, the CM had condemned the violence on JNU campus, terming it a “heinous act”.
A four-member Trinamool Congress (TMC) delegation is visiting JNU Monday to express solidarity with the students and teachers, she said.
Violence broke out at JNU Sunday night as masked men armed with sticks and rods attacked students and teachers and damaged properties on the campus, prompting the administration to call in the police.
PTI