Which section of JNU students is Deepika Padukone showing her solidarity with, asks VHP

Indore, Jan 8: Amid the controversy over Deepika Padukone's visit to the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Wednesday sought to know whether the Bollywood actor supported those who attacked the students in the campus or those who protected them.

It also termed as a "conspiracy" the manner in which violence was being used by "anti-national forces" in institutions like the Delhi's JNU and Jamia Millia Islamia.

Padukone visited the JNU campus during a public meeting on Tuesday evening and stood in silence behind JNU Students' Union president Aishe Ghosh, who had received head injuries during a mob attack on Sunday evening.

Talking to PTI, VHP's central general secretary Milind Parande said, "What is important is that which group of JNU students that Deepika was showing her solidarity with? "There were two sections of students during the recent violence one was attacking the students, while the other was trying to protect them from the attackers."

"Was she (Deepika) showing solidarity with those who are doing wrong in JNU?" he asked. He said violence has no place in the country's democratic set up and the actor should clarify which section of JNU students she supported.

Asked about Bollywood producer-director Anurag Kashyap's attack on the Centre over the JNU violence, Parande said, "I think taking such a stand has become fashionable for some people. It is absolutely wrong and unacceptable if any person speaks against the national interest, no matter how big and famous the person may be."

"I consider it very dangerous, the manner in which violence is being used by anti-national forces in higher education institutions like the JNU and Jamia Millia Islamia is a conspiracy. People calling for the violent movements in these campuses should be punished," Parande said.

Strongly supporting the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), he said during the Partition of India in 1947, "historic injustice" was done, especially to Hindus and Sikhs.

"A good step has been taken by India through CAA. But some political parties and communist powers in India are trying to appease Muslims by inciting violence under the pretext of opposing CAA, although this law has nothing to do with the country's Muslims.

"It is not going to take away any person's citizenship. It will give citizenship to persecuted religious minorities from the neighboring countries," Parande said.