The Centre is at "war" with students, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday alleged and warned Prime Minister Narendra Modi against provoking them which he said will make his chair "shaky" and tore into the ruling BJP for "distributing" certificates of nationalism.
Addressing students protesting against Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula's suicide in New Delhi, Kejriwal demanded the immediate arrest of "Central Ministers" who "forced" him to take the extreme step and accused the ruling BJP for opening a "front" against Dalits.
"I have said this before, Modi ji don't mess with students. If the students of the country come together, they will shake your chair like never before," Kejriwal said to loud cheers.
"What happened that youth who had supported Modi have risen against him today? This government seems to be at war with students of the country. Now they have started distributing certificates of patriotism. They are distributing certificates as to who is a patriot and who is a traitor.
"For them the biggest patriot is Nathuram Godse and the biggest traitor is Kanhaiya. The biggest patriot is Adityanath and traitor Mahatma Gandhi. Biggest patriot Sadhvi Ritambhara and biggest traitor Aamir Khan. For them all these scoundrels and ruffians are patriots," he said.
Kejriwal said that anyone can be "beaten up or raped" in the pretext of raising anti-India slogans. "They will justify it using this argument".
"It's unfortunate that till date the ministers in dock have not even been questioned once and we talk of equality.
What sort of an equality is this wherein the ministers who forced a boy to commit suicide are roaming openly?
"We demand their immediate arrest and questioning. At least question them. Your probe is prejudiced and it seems that you have made up your mind not to act against your ministers," he said.
He also urged the crowd to let go of the man and to let him speak. "It's essential that we let him speak. They have every right to question us and we will have to answer them."
"Centre has opened a front against dalits it seems. The Centre had stopped an event organised by the Periyer Ambedkar study circle at IIT Madras. One Professor was shot at in Madhya Pradesh two days ago. It seems the Union government has opened a front against Ambedkarites and dalits," he said.
The Delhi CM, who has ordered a magisterial probe into the controversial JNU event, condemned the attack on media, women and JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar at the Patiala House Court premises.
"They don't have any evidence against Kanhaiya but despite that the way they behaved with him is highly condemnable. I warn again, if Modi does not mend his ways then the youth shall come together and teach him a lesson," he said.
"The way the institutions are being attacked, the way judiciary was attacked, the way media has been divided between pro and anti-government. I thank the media for conducting sting operations and making things clear. In the garb of defending nationalism, if voices of students are muffled it won't be tolerated," he observed.
He deplored the cancellation of Rohith's scholarship by the Hyderabad University administration despite his "opposition" to the move.
"He pleaded against suspension. He was a bright student.
Our society, our system, our ministers compelled a boy to commit suicide whose achievements should have been celebrated," he said.
Later, Kejriwal tweeted, "Why isn't Modi government able to nab those who raised slogans in favour of destroying India ? or does it not want to nab them?."
जिन लोगों ने भारत की बर्बादी के नारे लगाए थे, मोदी सरकार उन्हें क्यों नहीं पकड़ पा रही है? या पकड़ना नहीं चाहती?
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) February 23, 2016