Citizens Forum Meets IG Over ‘Anti-National Programme’ On College Campus In Odisha’s Jharsuguda

Sambalpur: The citizens forum, Jharsuguda, on Thursday met IG (Northern Police Range) Himanshu Lal, seeking strict legal action against Gandhi Vichar Manch for allegedly organising an anti-Hindu and communal programme on a college campus.

The Jharsuguda-based organisation recently conducted a programme at Laxmi Narayan College during which the speaker, Rahul Dev, allegedly spoke against Hindus. He also attacked RSS and BJP and criticised Veer Savarkar, saying that he was not a leader of the freedom movement and had instead mislead freedom fighters and used them for killing some people, according to the forum.

The event also raises suspicion that anti-national forces from outside the country might be funding Gandhi Vichar Manch to conduct such programme, it added.

In the memorandum, the forum also accused Congress leader of deliberately giving anti-national statements. “Recently, he declared that his fight is against Indian state itself. The statement is beyond the limits of permissible free speech and pose a serious threat to public order and national security. It was made with a deliberate design and calculated intent to undermine the sovereignty and integrity of the Indian state. The statement is liable under Sections 152 and 197(1)d of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita,” claimed forum member and advocate Ramahari Pujari.

He further stated that the IG asserted that such anti-national programme should not be permitted on college campus. The Jharsuguda SP has been directed to register a case and conduct a probe.