JNU event had LeT support: Rajnath Singh

The controversy over crackdown on student union leaders at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) took a new turn on Sunday with Home Minister Rajnath Singh saying that the event organised in memory of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru had “support” from Lashkar-e-Toiba chief Hafiz Saeed.

“The incident (Afzal event) at JNU has received support from Hafiz Saeed. This is a truth that the nation needs to understand. What has happened is very unfortunate,” Singh said in Allahabad.

Left parties and the Congress challenged Singh’s claim. CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury and CPI leader D Raja demanded that Singh must come out with evidence to support his claim, describing the home minister’s remark as “very serious allegation”.

Home ministry sources said Singh’s statement was based on the



“consolidated inputs” from security agencies. 

Sources also pointed at a series of tweets posted two days ago, purportedly by Saeed, asking Pakistanis to support the agitation in the JNU. The Delhi police, which was probing whether the twitter handle actually belonged to the LeT founder, tweeted: “This is to alert and sensitise the student community in JNU and across the country. Do not get carried away by such seditious anti-national rhetoric.

Abetment of any kind of anti-national activity is a punishable offence.”The home minister avoided questions on Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s presence at JNU and allegations that Raja’s daughter was among the sloganeering students. “I will not name any names here....all I say is that everyone should oppose anti-national activities,” Singh said.