Afzal Guru row 'constructed conspiracy' by state: JNU professor Jayati Ghosh

The controversy over an event at JNU commemorating Afzal Guru's hanging during which anti- national slogans were allegedly raised was a "constructed conspiracy" of the state to defame the university, faculty member and noted economist Jayati Ghosh said on Saturday.

"It was a constructed conspiracy to defame the university and it was planned at a higher level. Among those present at the event, three masked men who raised those 'anti-national' slogans were apparently from IB. This is what we suspect," she said while addressing the students during a lecture on "anti-national policies of NDA".

The lecture was part of the "nationalism teaching" series which are being conducted at JNU's which is caught in a row over the February 9 event. The classes are being held at the varsity's administration block which has been venue of the protest ever since students union president Kanhaiya Kumar was arrested in a sedition case over the event.

"This is what we suspect. We are more important than we think... we are really a target. This is why we have to defend ourselves," Ghosh said, adding the government is specifically targeting universities because it is afraid of students who can think and analyse.

"A university produces citizens who are aware and analyse and most of all who can think. All of you here think and that is why they want to finish you... finish us," she said. Commenting on government's move to tax 60 per cent of the EPF and PPF savings, Ghosh said it is nefarious and is aimed at shifting people to invest in unstable market.

"You are taxing 60 per cent of the saved money. It is very nefarious. The idea is to shift people from a stable source of retirement income to volatile market," she said. While Kanhaiya was released on bail earlier this week, two other students Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya are still in custody in connection with the case.