Don't bring religion and region into JNU row: BJP to opposition parties

NEW DELHI: Amidst the raging JNU row, BJP today accused opposition parties of invoking " religion and region" to "protect" some accused and asserted that it will not tolerate "anti-India" activities on campuses and those doing so will find themselves behind bars.

BJP National Secretary Shrikant Sharma also hit back at opposition parties over their charge that the Narendra Modi government was misusing the sedition law as he quoted official data to claim that maximum arrests under it were made in Bihar, where JD(U)-RJD-Congress alliance is in power and which has been ruled by Nitish Kumar for over 10 years.

Twenty eight out of 55 arrests on the charge of sedition have been made in Bihar, he claimed.

"The issue is about national unity and integrity. BJP will ask Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, his friend Omar Abdullah and Arvind Kejriwal to not politicise it. They are being driven solely by vote bank politics.

"By invoking religion and region, the likes of Abdullah are trying to protect those involved in shouting unacceptable slogans against India," he alleged.

The former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister had yesterday tweeted, "I am a Kashmiri Muslim AND I am not a Ramdev supporter/follower. I would better prepare for my interrogation."

What Gandhi and Abdullah are doing is "negative and destructive" politics, Sharma alleged, adding that they should instead contribute towards constructive politics.

"By linking such a sensitive issue to religion and region, he is only trying to protect the accused," he said.

Anti-India activities have long taken place on campuses but the BJP government will not tolerate it, he said, adding, "Those who engage in it will find themselves behind bars."