JNU row: BJP suspends leader for offering money to cut Kanhaiya's tongue

Police tells JNU: Inform us about Kanhaiya's doings
New Delhi: As part of efforts to provide foolproof security to JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar, Delhi Police has asked University authorities to inform them about the student leader's movements outside the campus and nature of his visits.

Kanhaiya Kumar (left) in JNU on Friday. Pic/PTI

In a letter to University authorities sent after Kumar's release from jail, DCP (South) Prem Nath wrote that the SHO of Vasant Kunj (North) Police Station, which has the campus under its jurisdiction, should be informed well in time about "the movements/visits of Kumar outside the campus, including nature of visit and travel mode so that necessary security/preventive measures may be taken to prevent any untoward incident". A police source said the move comes in view of the court's directive after the attack on Kumar at Patiala House court complex on February 17, which said police must ensure that none of the students arrested in connection with the sedition case suffer even a scratch.

The latest letter suggests that a police team will move around with Kumar every time he moves out of the varsity's campus. The police also ensured full security to Kanhaiya on Thursday, when he was released from jail on conditional bail, and deployed escort teams to make sure that he reaches the campus safe.

Badaun: The BJP Yuva Morcha leader, who had announced a reward of R5 lakh for cutting off JNU Students union leader Kanhaiya Kumar's tongue, was on Saturday expelled from primary membership of the party for six years.

Kuldeep Varshnay

The president of district unit of BJP, Harish Shakya, told reporters that the party has nothing to do with Varshnay's controversial statement. "Varshnay's statement is his personal one and the party has nothing to do with it... he has been expelled from the primary membership of the party for making such a statement without the consent of party office bearers," he said. Shakya stated that a notice to remove Varshnay from the post had been issued six months ago, and Ankit Maurya was made working president in his place.
Varshnay had on Friday announced R5 lakh prize money for cutting off the tongue of Kanhaiya Kumar who he had alleged was speaking against the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi ever since he had been released on bail. - Agencies

'Anti-India speech is not free'
Vrindavan: BJP chief Amit Shah on Saturday attacked Congress over the JNU row, saying it should be "ashamed" of Rahul Gandhi's visit to the campus and questioned whether "anti-national slogans" can be called freedom of speech. Addressing a meeting of Bhartiya Janata Yuva Morcha, BJP's youth wing, he said the JNU row was about the party's core issue of nationalism and invoked its Ram Janamabhumi campaign to buttress his point. "A strange atmosphere has been created. Anti-national slogans are being projected as freedom of expression... Congress should be ashamed that its Vice-President goes to the campus and says these (slogans) should be heard as there is freedom of expression. If these slogans are freedom of expression, then what is treason?" he said. - Agencies

IIMC prof. quits
New Delhi: A senior faculty member of Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) resigned alleging that he was "targeted" by the I&B Ministry for supporting the protests over Dalit student Rohith Vemula's suicide and JNU issues. Amit Sengupta quit after an order was issued transferring him to the media school's campus in Odisha.