Six people, including students from the government-run KS Saket Degree College in Ayodhya district, were charged with sedition after the headmaster of the college filed a complaint accusing them of raising “anti-national slogans calling for azadi.”
According to director ND Pandey, “indecent and anti-national slogans such as Le ke rahenge azadi” were erected on the university premises on December 16.
With the Ramjanmabhoomi site nearby, he told The Indian Express, he needed to be on the lookout for “such anti-national activities” and could not allow slogans “being raised at Jawaharlal Nehru University.”
The students say they were only protesting against the non-holding of union elections at the university, and their slogans were directed at the principal and the main supervisor.
Started in 1991, KS Saket College has around 10,000 students.
An FIR was filed against the six, Sumit Tewari, Shesh Narayan Pandey, Imran Hashmi, Satwik Pandey, Mohit Yadav and Manoj Mishra, on December 18. They were registered under Sections 124-A (sedition), 147 (riots) and 506 of the IPC. (criminal intimidation), in addition to the charges of obstruction of public servants. Ayodhya Police Station Inspector Ashutosh Mishra said they were investigating the matter. “Everything will be clarified during the investigation. We will be scanning CCTV images, videos. If a violation is committed, appropriate action will be taken. “
The principal’s complaint reads: “The admissions process and classes have been ongoing at the university since December 7. During this period, some outsiders, antisocial elements, and alleged leaders started a protest demanding student elections. On December 16, these students entered the university and closed the main door and misbehaved with the teachers, the university administration and the students. They disrupted classes… they were raising indecent and anti-national slogans like le kar rahenge azadi. Due to the incident, there is anger and fear among the university students. “
Abhaas Krishna Yadav, who is doing M.Com and was elected president of the student union in 2018, said: “The protesting students only said they wanted azadi from the principal and chief supervisor. Now, the director has used that and is saying that they were raising anti-national slogans. “
Yadav questioned the administration’s logic for canceling the student union polls. “Last year the elections could not be held for the Ram Mandir issue and no one raised their voice as it was a delicate matter. This year, students are protesting that the elections have been canceled while elections are taking place across the country. When classes can be taught, why can’t elections be held for the student union?
Speaking to The Indian Express, Director Pandey said: “The students had raised anti-national slogans that are being raised at Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi… that they will fight for azadi. What kind of azadi do you want? They wanted elections, we are still in the process of admission. How can elections be made? “
Tying the matter to the temple of Ram, Pandey added. “This is such a sensitive place in Ayodhya, just 500 meters from the Janmabhoomi. We have to be vigilant about anti-national activities. “
He declined to clarify who of the six he filed a FIR against were university students. “I can’t tell you who the current students are, but some of the six are students, while some are ex-students and some are outsiders,” said Pandey.
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