AAP, Congress flay BJP, Centre over assault on students

New Delhi, Feb 1  Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday accused the BJP-RSS combine of misusing Delhi Police as a "private army" after a video showing policemen thrashing students protesters here surfaced.

The Congress too joined in condemning the police action against students two days ago, accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government at the Centre of crushing dissent.

In a tweet on Monday, Kejriwal said Delhi Police is "being used by the BJP/RSS as their (private) army to terrorise and teach (a) lesson to anyone opposing the BJP/RSS".

"I strongly condemn (the) attack on students" on January 30, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader added.

The video showed policemen in uniform and in civvies lathi-charging students of Jawaharlal Nehru University protesting against the suicide by Dalit research scholar Rohith Vemula. 

Some officials were caught on camera using fisticuffs on student activists, including women, and pushing them to the ground.

Delhi Police has not denied the authenticity of the video.

Referring to earlier student protests at the Pune-based Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) and Hyderabad University, Kejriwal said: "FTII, Rohith case, Hyd Univ, IITs and now brutal attack on Delhi students. Modi government seems to be at war with students all across."

The Delhi Police does not report to the Kejriwal government but to the home ministry and Lt. Governor Najeeb Jung.

The Congress too condemned the beating up of protesting students.

"The Congress would like to put on record that this government has become completely apathetic to the voice of students, in addition to being anti-Dalit and anti-poor. They have time and again indulged in crushing dissent," Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi said.

"This insane crushing of dissent by using state machinery will not go down well with the youth of this country," he said.