Budget Session: Smriti Irani launches no-holds-barred attack to blunt opposition onslaught

A belligerent HRD Minister Smriti Irani today targeted the Congress, especially Rahul Gandhi, and the Left after a debate on JNU and Hyderabad University controversies in Lok Sabha turned into a no-holds-barred battle between Government and the Opposition.

In a hard-hitting reply, laced with emotion and anger, she forcefully defended the action against students of JNU saying Kanhaiya Kumar and some other students had been found indulging in anti-national activities by the JNU authorities themselves. The debate, which was advanced in the Lok Sabha from tomorrow after Congress insisted on it, was often acrimonious with attacks and counter-attacks with each side giving its version of nationalism and patriotism.

While the Congress and other opposition parties accused the government of creating an atmosphere of divide and hatred in its attempt to keep alive divisive issues, the treasury benches accused them of being on the side of anti-national elements. Government fielded two other heavyweights--Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Urban Development M Venkaiah Naidu--besides Irani to take on a combined opposition.
Irani's aggression drew praise from Prime Minister Narendra Modi who tweeted: "satyamev jayate" along with the video of her speech. Singh, who took the floor after Irani, said any amount of praise for her would not be enough.

Facing flak over slapping sedition charges on Kanhaiya Kumar and others, Singh said the issue should now be left to the courts to decide. Even a BJP ally TDP voiced concern over the issue, saying sedition charge was a harsh action. "If police is right the courts will justify that. If police is wrong, then the court can discharge them," he said adding no innocent student would be harassed.

He also said that that government has always maintained that JNU is a centre of excellence and it had never described it as an "anti-national centre".
The opposition had gunned for Irani and Labour Minister Dattatreya, whose letters to her have been blamed for the suicide of dalit scholar Rohith Vemula in the Hyderabad Central University, and demanded action against them.

Members of the Congress, Left parties and Trinamool Congress staged a walk out in the wake of her strident attack on them in which she rejected the charge of saffronisation of education. The minister also made it clear that she was not apologetic about her actions. "I will not apologise for doing my duty...help me build the nation, not destroy it from within. I respect your patriotism, don't demean mine. I have my idea of India, don't demean it."
Earlier in the day, Irani had a face-off with BSP chief Mayawati in the Rajya Sabha, with the minister taunting her that only she could issue certificates on dalit credentials.

Contending that she was being targeted for contesting against Rahul in Amethi in last Lok Sabha polls, Irani invoked Indira Gandhi and said even "her son" (Rajiv) had lost power but still he did not do what "you (Rahul) are doing" of joining the protests of "anti-nationals". The HRD minister made an emotional pitch on Vemula's suicide, insisting that her ministry had no role in his death and the deceased himself had said in his suicide note that nobody should be held responsible for his action.

"A mother who gives birth, cannot take lives," she said, choking with emotions. During last 20 months as Minister, Irani said she tried to do justice to students by trying to address their complaints without asking for their "caste or religion". Referring to attack on the government as being "anti-minority", she gave examples of helping students, including one Muslin boy from Kashmir who had apprised her about not getting scholarship.

She also named a number of MPs, including Pappu Yadav, Saugata Roy, Assadudin Owaisi and Shashi Tharoor, whom she had helped after they made requests for school admissions. Rejecting the charge of saffronising education, she said, she would quit politics if it was established she made any attempt to do so. Most of the vice chancellors are Congress appointees, Irani said, adding she had asked them to listen to the students who come from different backgrounds and address their issues.

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"Help me build the nation, not destroy it from within," she said stressing, "I respect your patriotism, don't demean mine... I have my idea of India...don't demean it." Citing documents, she said, report by JNU's security people observed that some students were indulging in anti-national sloganeering even though the students had sought permission to hold a "poetry" event.

Those involved in the programme which include Umar Khalid, Kanhayia Kumar and others, she said, were suspended by the JNU authorities though they were allowed to stay on the campus till completion of the inquiry.
Earlier too, Irani said some students and professors had taken out rallies in support of Afzal Guru, who was hanged for his role in attack on Parliament, and burnt the effigy of Home Ministry.
Hanging of Afzal Guru was described by the activists as "judicial murder", she said, adding it amounted to rising against Supreme Court and the Indian state. 

The HRD minister responded to all the issues raised by the opposition including allegations of "muzzling" the voice of students in her speech. Giving the sequence of events at the JNU on the basis of documents of the university authorities, Irani said Umar Khalid had sought permission to organise a "poetry" programme. Although the permission was denied, the students went ahead with the programme which turned into a platform for shouting anti-India slogans like "Bharat teri barbadi tak jang rahegi, jang rahegi" (the struggle would continue till destruction of Indian state), she said.

The Minister based her contention on the report filed by the private security staff of JNU with regard to the developments on January 9. Accusing the Communists of using students as weapons against state, she asserted that anti-national slogans cannot be allowed under the garb of freedom of speech. To buttress her case about undeserving activities on the JNU campus, she cited an event to observe 'Mahishasura Martyrdom Day' in which Goddess Durga is depicted in a derogatory manner.

Producing pamphlets to support her contention, she challenged Trinamool members to a discussion on this and dared them to show these pamphlets in West Bengal. She wondered how such things got into the minds of students and added that it was because of the wrong policies of the previous government and added "don't make education a battle field" as the consequences could be grave.

Irani also contended that education policy had been distorted when Congress leader Kapil Sibal was the HRD minister and cited a document authored by Teesta Setalvad in this regard. Quoting a Roman philosopher, she said, a nation can deal with fools but treason from within is very dangerous.

In this context, she took a dig at detractors, saying had she quoted Chanakya, the opponents would have accused her of saffronisation. As regards the issue of suicide by Vemula, Irani responded to attacks on her by saying in a choked voice, She said Vemula had been denied financial assistance and was expelled by the Executive Council of the University, none of whose members had been appointed by NDA. "They were all Congress appointees," she added