Jantar Mantar - Students demand freedom to dissent

Rahul Gandhi and Arvind Kejriwal both shared the same platform today at Jantar Mantar with thousands of students from Universities across the country including Hyderabad University, Delhi University and Jawaharlal Nehru University.

Under the banner of ‘Justice for Rohith Vemula' it was an all out attack against the central government over their alleged interference in functioning of academic institutions.

The Jantar Mantar road was swarming with protesters singing songs and chanting slogans for freedom of expression. A few had adorned the look of Che Guevara, the famous Argentine Marxist revolutionary.

Although political parties Congress and AAP did try to hijack the platform to further their political agenda, they were no match to students' anger and enthusiasm vis-a-vis freedom to dissent.

In their brief addresses to the crowd comprising of students, academicians, intellectuals and media big wigs, Rahul Gandhi and Arvind Kejriwal attacked RSS, BJP, Narendra Modi and Central Government.

In his famous ‘Dekh lena ji' style, Arvind Kejriwal said:

"Everybody has the right to dissent. The system and society forced Vemula to commit suicide. The ministers who forced Vemula to commit suicide are roaming free. Those Ministers must be arrested now. We must leave the educational institutions to educationists. There should be no interference in academic institutions."

"Central government has opened a front against Dalits, Ambedkar and students. I asked Modiji to not challenge students. This government is at war with students."

Slamming Sangh, Rahul Gandhi said, "The government is interfering in academic institutions. We need a law which doesn't let students' voices be silenced. Rohith talked about future of India, but RSS only talks about the past."

A PHD student at DU Sandeep told OneIndia,

"Sedition cases against Umar Khalid must be taken back. Kanhaiya Kumar must be released. Action must be taken against media houses which tried to defame Umar Khalid and others as anti-national."

AAP leaders Sanjay Singh, Ashutosh, Somnath Bharati, social activist Medha Patekar were also present.