New Delhi: Sparking a major political row, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday claimed that the event organised inside Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus against the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru had received "support" from Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) founder Hafiz Saeed.
"The incident(Afzal Guru row) at JNU has received support from Hafiz Saeed. This is a truth that the nation needs to understand," Singh told reporters in Allahabad, adding, "What has happened is very unfortunate," ANI reported.
Shortly after the statement was issued by the Home Minister, the opposition parties asked him to provide evidence of his sensational claim.
As Singh said the truth that the JNU agitation received support from Saeed, needed to be understood by the nation, National Conference leader Omar Abdullah said it is a "very serious charge" to level against the students and that the evidence must be shared with all.
In a series of tweets, Omar, a former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, said the Home Minister must go public with the evidence collected that enabled him to level the charge against the JNU students.
"That #HafizSaeed supported the #JNU protests is a very serious charge to level against the students. The evidence must be shared with all," he said. "Cracking down on students & using #HafizSaeed to justify the crack down is a new low, even for this NDA government."
That #HafizSaeed supported the #JNU protests is a very serious charge to level against the students. The evidence must be shared with all.
— Omar Abdullah (@abdullah_omar) February 14, 2016
The Home Minister must go public with the evidence collected that enabled him to level this charge against the #JNU students #HafizSaeed
— Omar Abdullah (@abdullah_omar) February 14, 2016
Meanwhile, CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yechury said the Home Minister has to come out and share the evidence he has with the country to back up his "serious allegation". CPI leader D Raja also demanded that the evidence be made public.
Yechury said Rajnath has made a very serious allegation about terrorists 'backing' JNU protests, adding. "We hope that he has concrete proof."
"Considering the gravity of the charge made by no less than the Union Home Minister, we would like him to share the evidence with the country," he added, as per PTI.
"When we met the Home Minister yesterday, he never mentioned Hafiz Saeed to us but only harped on the slogans being raised at the protests.
However, later in the day, Singh tweeted, "I appeal to all organisations and the political parties to stand united on issues pertaining to unity, sovereignty &integrity of the country. Those involved in anti-India activities or propaganda will not be spared and those who are innocent will not be harassed."
I appeal to all organisations and the political parties to stand united on issues pertaining to unity, sovereignty &integrity of the country
— Rajnath Singh (@BJPRajnathSingh) February 14, 2016
"I seek cooperation and support from all political parties &people from all walks of life to join hands in fight against anti-national forces," he said in a series of tweets.
I seek cooperation and support from all political parties &people from all walks of life to join hands in fight against anti-national forces
— Rajnath Singh (@BJPRajnathSingh) February 14, 2016
Those involved in anti-India activities or propaganda will not be spared and those who are innocent will not be harassed.
— Rajnath Singh (@BJPRajnathSingh) February 14, 2016
Singh while talking to newspersons also asked political parties not to view protests at JNU through the prism of political gains or losses.
Rajnath's comments came two days after a series of tweets, purportedly by Saeed, had appeared under a hashtag asking Pakistanis to support the agitation in JNU.
Police are investigating as to whether the twitter handle actually belonged to the LeT founder.
Delhi Police had issued an alert through the official twitter handle of the Commissioner's office saying, "This is to alert and sensitise the student community in JNU and across the country. Do not get carried away by such seditious anti-national rhetoric. Abetment of any kind of anti-national activity is a punishable offence."
In the alert, Delhi Police had also pinned a tweet by the handle named HafeezSaeedJUD which says, "We request our Pakistani brothers to trend #SupportJNU for our pro-Pakistani JNUite brothers."
The uproar in the JNU intensified after police arrested JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar was arrested on Friday on sedition charges over a protest organised in the JNU campus on February 9 against the hanging of 2001 Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru.
The raging JNU row yesterday turned into an ideological battle between the BJP and its Left opponents, with Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi lending them support and comparing the Modi government with Hitler's regime.
The arrest of Kumar, a leader of CPI-affiliated student outfit, set the two sides on the warpath, with the government declaring that the varsity cannot be allowed to be a "hub of anti-national" activities.
The BJP also attacked Rahul Gandhi, saying he and "his friends are speaking in the voice of LeT terrorist Hafiz Sayeed who had tweeted in support of anti-India event in JNU".
Watch the video here (Coursety-ANI):
WATCH: 'Unfortunate that JNU incident has been supported by LeT Chief Hafiz Saeed', says HM Rajnath Singhhttps://t.co/Djplbeakyo
— ANI (@ANI_news) February 14, 2016
