New Delhi: Amid the furore over an event at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) against the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Kirren Rijiju on Saturday said the government cannot allow the institute to become a hub of anti-national activities.
While justifying police action against some JNU students, Rijiju said, “they are not kids who don't know what they do”, adding that in the name of freedom of speech you can't abuse the nation.
"Freedom of expression can’t be absolute and unqualified, there has to be reasonable restriction," the MoS said.
Rijiju's statements come a day after Delhi Police arrested JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar in a case of sedition and criminal conspiracy.
Meanwhile, after receiving an interim report from its disciplinary committee probing the involvement of the students at the event, the JNU debarred eight students from academic activities pending a disciplinary enquiry.
Kumar was arrested two days after JNU witnessed clashes between two student groups over Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, who was hanged on February 09, 2013 in Tihar Jail.
Marking the death anniversary of Guru, a group of students on Tuesday held an event on the campus and shouted slogans against government for hanging him, despite varsity administration having cancelled the permission following a complaint by ABVP members, who termed the activity as "anti-national".
