Students Enter Where the Opposition Fears to Tread

NEW DELHI: The mainstream political parties might have chosen to remain silent on the communal clash in Trilokpuri but students from different universities marched to the headquarters of Delhi police protesting against its partisan role in controlling the violence.

Shouting slogans against the Central government, the Delhi Police and the Lt Governor Najeeb Jung, the hundreds of students were stopped from entering the police headquarters by a large police presence and barricades.

Ashutosh Kumar, JNUSU President, blamed the Narendra Modi government for inciting the violence. He said, “In these six months the volume of violent incidents against the minorities has increased many folds, this is no coincident, it a deliberate strategy to polarize communities and win elections.” He warned the government of nationwide protests unless it stopped this villence. He also attacked the Delhi Police Commissioner for failing to control the violence.

Student activist, Abhay Kumar, spoke of the role of the Hindutva forces in generating communal violence. He said that the strategy had changed from large scale violence to small intensity riots, that does not find a place in the media, and does not make the government accountable. But at the same time it polarises communities.

Umar Khalid of the Democratic Students Union said, “The role of police is not confined to Trilokpuri or Muzaffarnagar, the police force has largely collaborated with the RSS and works on its directions.”

He also added that, Narendra Modi, the prime minister of this country will replicate the Gujarat model all throughout the country.

The students also alleged that, most of the people arrested on charges of rioting are from the minority community and they are being given a pathetic treatment inside the jail. They are being beaten made, made to clean latrines in Tihar and also they are not being provided proper food in the jail.

A four member team with a charter of demands went to meet the police commissioner. The students are demanding better treatment of the arrested people in the jail and quick release.