Must be wary of jihadists, Maoists, separatists getting into student activism: Sitharaman

New Delhi, Dec 16: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday said that citizens should be wary of "jihadists, Maoists and separatists" getting into student activism.

Sitharaman, however, said that she was not aware of the events at New Delhi's Jamia Milia Islamia University over the weekend.

Hitting out at the Congress, the student-activist turned politician said whipping up people's emotions on issues like the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) only shows the opposition party's frustration.

She also said that activism per se is not new to universities and attributed the same to "idealism" that guides a student because of his/her age.

The university had turned into a battlefield on Sunday as police entered the campus and also used force, following protest against the Act. "One case has been registered at Jamia Nagar Police Station and another case registered at New Friends Colony Police Station," a senior police official said.

The situation in Jamia Millia Islamia, which witnessed protests against the amended Citizenship Act, remained tense as many students decided to leave for their homes. Many students feel they are not safe even inside the campus.

Earlier in the day, as many as 50 students, who were detained during protests at the Jamia Millia Islamia University, were released in the early hours of Monday, police said.