“Free speech” in society needs to be debated Says Jaitley
LONDON/NEW DELHI : Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has said there is an “alliance of subversion” on certain Indian campuses and that the ultra-Left and separatists are speaking the same language.
At the same time, he said that they must also allow others with different opinions to speak.The minister said it was his personal belief that “free speech” in society needs to be debated, adding that “violence is however not the method”.
“I personally believe that free speech in India, and in any society, has to be debated. If you believe you have free speech to assault the sovereignty of the country, then be ready to concede free speech to counter that,” Jaitley said, while delivering a talk at London School of Economics on Saturday.
“Violence is not the method; no group can and should use violence… there is an alliance of subversion which is taking place. The separatists and the ultra-Left are speaking the same language in certain university campuses. So, they must be willing to allow others with a different opinion to put a counter viewpoint,” he said.
“I find this absolutely strange that an argument is being raised that I have free speech to advocate that India should be broken into pieces and those who oppose me are hindering that right to free speech. Well, they too have a right to free speech,” Jaitley said. Comment comes days after a violent clash outside Delhi University`s Ramjas college between activists of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad — the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh`s students wing — and other students groups on February 22 during a march against forced suspension of an event a day earlier.
Delhi University`s Ramjas college witnessed violent clashes on February 22, after ABVP members allegedly disrupted a march against forced suspension of an event to be addressed by Jawaharlal Nehru University student Umar Khalid a day earlier.
Khalid was one of the students at the centre of a controversy on the JNU campus last year, and was also jailed on sedition charge along with Anirban Bhattacharya and then JNU Students Union President Kanhaiya Kumar.
Meanwhile, Ramjas College has ordered an enquiry to look into its students’ involvement in clashes even as it resolved to stand by its teachers and students who organised the event.The decision was taken at a staff council meeting yesterday.
“An enquiry committee has been constituted to probe the involvement of Ramjas’ students in provoking or initiating the violence. Principal Rajendar Prasad will address the students and teachers on Monday morning urging them to maintain peace and not be scared of anything,” a senior college official had said, as per News Agency pti.
“The staff council resolved to stand by the teachers and students who were organisers of the seminar,” he added. The classes in the college were suspended on Thursday even as the administration had maintained that it was due to “administrative reasons” and not due to the violent situation on campus.
Following threats from ABVP, the college had decided to withdraw the invite to Khalid.While Delhi University authorities maintained that the varsity proctor’s office was looking into the issue, the Human Resource Development ministry had on Friday sought a report from the university over the issue.
(With Agency inputs)
