Image Courtesy: thehindu.com
In light of the violence unleashed against the students and teachers of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), the Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said, “When I saw the news of JNU attack on TV, it reminded me of 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.”
Saying that students feel “unsafe” in the country, he said, “I will not allow anything like JNU to happen in Maharashtra.”
On January 5, 2020, a group of masked goons had entered the JNU campus unleashing terror on students and teachers alike, wielding iron rods and sledgehammers, damaging property and brutally injuring many in the campus.
At the press conference held at his residence Matoshree, Thackeray also described the masked attackers in JNU to be “cowards” and said, “The violence in JNU is a resounding reminder of the November 26 terror attacks in Mumbai. Those who carried out these attacks, hiding their faces behind masks, are cowards. They must be identified, nabbed and punished for their crimes.”
Condemning the Delhi police he said, “If Delhi Police fail to find out perpetrators of the attack, then they will also be in the dock.”
When reporters asked him if he thought the incident was sponsored, he chose not to jump the gun and said, “It will become clear if this was a sponsored attack. Things will become clear one by one. It is the government’s job to investigate and take action.”
Assuring that the students in Maharashtra had nothing to fear he said, “Everything will be done to ensure students in Maharashtra are safe. I assure them that they are safe. No one can touch even a single hair on their head. The law will stand by them and take strict action against law breakers.”
Calling the JNU incident a “blot on our country” he added, “There is unrest among students now, because they feel unsafe. This is a blot on our country. No student should feel afraid, they are our future, and their thought process must be protected, nurtured and shaped. I am certain such violence will not be tolerated in our country either.”
He also commented on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) saying, “No one in Maharashtra has anything to worry about, I have made it very clear. I will never let anything untoward happen in Maharashtra.”
Uddhav Thackeray had earlier likened the police brutalities on the students of Jamia Millia Islamia University (JMIU) to the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre saying, “I am using my words very carefully –the manner in which the police entered the compound of (Jamia Millia Islamia) and shot at the students, it was almost like the days of Jallianwala Bagh.”
Members of the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) also echoed Thackeray’s sentiments. Congress leader Ashok Chavan said, “What happened on 26/11 was terrorism, what happened in JNU was an attempt to terrorize. Mumbai attack terrorists came from outside and the ones yesterday are staying here and terrorizing.”
Jitendra Awhad from NCP said, “It is just not a terrorist attack. It is Modi-Shah sponsored terrorism.”
However, India Today reported that Uddhav’s comment had left victims of the 26/11 terror attack shocked. Speaking to the news channel some victims said that the comment was unwarranted and uncalled for saying that the seemingly politically motivated incident trivialized the terrorism against the country that left around 166 people dead.
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