The members of SIO (Students Islamic Organisation of India) were brutally beaten allegedly by the ABVP and BJP activists while they were protesting for Rohith Vemula and JNU issues in Lucknow on 24 February. Social activists and youth leaders in Delhi have strongly condemned the attack.
SIO activists were holding a signature campaign in Hazratganj area of Lucknow, seeking justice for Dalit research scholar Rohith Vemula and JNU (Jawaharlal Nehru University) students who have been arrested on sedition charges.
Ameeque Jamei, a youth leader of Communist Party of India, said: “It’s sad that students of Lucknow University were attacked. I strongly condemn this coward attack on SIO activists. The Uttar Pradesh government must ensure security to the victims and take action against the culprits.”
Jamei is one of those who were beaten last week reportedly by BJP supporters at Patiala House Court in Delhi.
“The intention behind the attack in Lucknow is exactly the same that was applied at the University of Hyderabad and JNU. If you criticise the policies of the government or oppose the policies of RSS, you become their soft target. Rohith was on their targets, then Kanhaiya was targeted and now they targeted me. Someone else will be their target tomorrow. All students groups should stand together against such attacks,” said Jamei.
SIO has also strongly condemned the attack on its members in Lucknow. “Our members were protesting peacefully in a democratic way over the issues of Rohith Vemula and JNU. When they were returning from the protest site, some attackers came out of a BJP office nearby and beat up our members. We strongly condemn it and yesterday itself we lodged a complaint with the police,” said Tauseef Madikeri, National Secretary, SIO.
While condemning the Lucknow attack, Prakash Rao, President, Communist Ghadar Party of India, said: “What happened in Lucknow is part of the incident that happened in JNU. The Government wants to unleash oppression on us to silence our voice. But they will not succeed. They want to break and weaken our unity. We will not get weakened. Our unity will not be broken. This is the struggle for justice and it will continue.”
”When the Constitution was drafted, the top priority was to strengthen the democratic system of the country but since BJP has come to power (at the centre), all systems including judiciary, legislature and executive seem to have failed. When these three important pillars of democratic system fail, the whole system fails,” said Laike Ahmed Khan, National Secretary, SIO. He demanded action against the attackers.
“Our demand is that all the attackers – those who attack people at Patiala House Court, those who beat people in Lucknow and those who attacked Soni Sori – should be brought to court,” said Mr. Madikeri.