New Delhi: Constrained over the ongoing 'anti-India' activities in the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus, ex-servicemen of 1978 batch of the National Defence Academy (NDA) have written a letter to university vice-chancellor stating that they are finding it difficult to be associated to the university and therefore they would return their degrees.
"We the proud fraternity of ex-servicemen of the June 1978 Batch of National Defence Academy, who are proud recipient of the Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts Degree from your esteemed University, are today constrained at the ongoing anti national activities on your university campus like celebration of Afzal Guru day, and consider it an affront to be equated with the present student fraternity of the university which is indulging in such anti-national activities," the letter written by ex-servicemen of the 54th NDA course reads.
The ex-servicemen feel that the present activities in the JNU campus negate the sacrifices made by the past degree holders of the reputed university.
"We, the proud, patriotic ex-servicemen of the 54th NDA course find it difficult to be associated to a university which has become a hub of anti-national activity, and would therefore be constrained to return our prized and well earned degrees to your esteemed institution if such activities are allowed to be conducted inside the campus," the letter further reads.
The latest development came on a day when Delhi Police arrested University Student Union president Kanhaiya Kumar for raising anti-India slogans to mark the anniversary of 2001 Parliament convict Afzal Guru's hanging. A case against 'unknown persons' was registered under Section of 124 A (sedition) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of IPC at Vasant Kunj (North) Police station following complaints by BJP MP Mahesh Girri and ABVP.
The city police on Friday also issued a country-wide alert cautioning people not to get carried away by seditious anti-national rhetoric. The alert was issued following a tweet by an account-linked to Pakistan based terrorist Hafeez Saeed asking Islamabad to support JNU students protest against the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru.
The handle used to share the tweet was @HafeezSaeedJUD, but it couldn't be verified if the tweet came from Saeed as it was soon deactivated. "We request our Pakistani Brothers to trend #SupportJNU for our pro-Pakistani JNUites brothers," it reads.
Meanwhile, the left-dominated JNU Students Union has distanced itself from the controversial event at the campus saying its members 'hold no brief for those who raised objectionable slogans'.
"This is reminiscent of the dark days of the Emergency when the state had swooped down on the campus and had arrested many on false and trumped up charges," a JNUSU statement said.
The university administration claimed that it had cancelled permission for the event, which was allegedly pitched as a cultural function.
A group of students had on Tuesday held an event on the JNU campus and shouted slogans against the hanging of Afzal Guru in 2013. Students had also pasted posters across the campus inviting people to a protest march against 'judicial killing of Afzal Guru and Maqbool Bhatt'.
