Rajnath Singh on JNU row: "Guilty will not be spared"

New Delhi, Feb 13: Amid the raging JNU row, Home Minister Rajnath Singh today asserted that no innocent will be harassed but the guilty "will not be spared" as Left leaders met him questioning the police action against students including arrest of JNUSU leader.

"No question of harassment of students. But the guilty will not be spared," he told reporters on the sidelines of a function here. The Home Minister's statement came after a delegation of Left and JD(U) leaders met him demanding release of president of JNU students union Kanhaiya Kumar who was arrested yesterday on charges of sedition in connection with an event organised on the campus against the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru.

Rajnath Singh

Kanhaiya is member of CPI's student wing All India Student Federation (AISF). Singh had yesterday warned of "strongest possible" action against those involved in raising anti-India slogans at an event in JNU campus here, saying such activities will not be tolerated. "If anyone raises anti-India slogans, tries to raise questions on country's unity and integrity, they will not be spared.

Stringent action will be taken against them," he had said. After meeting the Home Minister, CPI general secretary Sitaram Yechury, who was joined by CPI National Secretary D Raja and JD(U) spokesperson KC Tyagi, today alleged that the new Vice Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University was acting on the instructions of the government and allowed the police to go ahead with a "crackdown".

"This is happening across all universities that VCs are being removed and the government is appointing persons who are then acting on their instructions," Yechury said. Meanwhile, Delhi Police Commissioner B S Bassi said the Delhi Police is firmly committed to rule of law and will ensure that no innocent suffers.

"No innocent shall suffer. DP is firmly committed to the rule of law and does not entertain any malice towards anyone," he said in a tweet. Bassi also said no one should have any doubt that Delhi Police will act without any extraneous influence.

PTI