At a time when students across the country have joined the ongoing protests against the brutality unleashed by the police forces on students of Jamia Millia Islamia University on Sunday, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who has been unable to fix India¡¯s shrinking economy, has sparked another row.? ??
Sitharaman, who has previously blamed the attitude of millennials for the slump in car sales, on Monday triggered a fresh controversy as she warned that citizens should be wary of ¡°jihadists, Maoists and separatists¡± getting into student activism.
Sitharaman, however, maintained that she was not aware of the events at New Delhi's Jamia Milia Islamia University over the weekend.
Hitting out at the Congress, the student-activist turned politician said whipping up people's emotions on issues like the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) only shows the opposition party's frustration.
She also said that activism per se is not new to universities and attributed the same to ¡°idealism¡± that guides a student because of his/her age.?
The high-profile minister, who had recently retorted against the rising prices of onion in the parliament by saying that she didn¡¯t eat onions as she came from a? civilized family, has made these comments at a time when the mood of students is boiling in most campuses. Followed by Jamia, the students of JNU, AMbedkar and Delhi universities are also protesting in New Delhi.?
At least five states have further said that they will not let CAB be implemented in their states.?
The crackdown on students by Delhi Police on Sunday following widespread violence that was reported during the demonstrations against the controversial Citizenship Law has now rippled through the country with massive demonstrations ongoing in several campuses.?
Several Delhi University students have boycotted exams to express their solidarity. They say they will gather at India Gate on Monday evening and express their solidarity with the student fraternity. Besides, students in Bengaluru, Mumbai, Kolkata, Assam, Hyderabad, Aligarh, Lucknow, Patna and Chennai have also joined the protests against the much contentious act.?
The Citizenship Law has been called as divisive and has attracted the ire of prominent personalities who have written letters and petitions, urging that it be withdrawn on grounds that it destroys the fabric of Indian constitution.?
It is silly that the finance minister chose to comment on an issue as sensitive as this without complete knowledge. At the same time, she directed the ire towards the protesting students in what may be seen as an attempt to discredit the protest, whereas she remained lip-locked on the brutal crackdown on students by the police personnel.?