Jaipur, Oct 10 (IANS) Rajasthan Leader of the Opposition Tika Ram Jully said on Thursday that the arrested National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) students have been arrested at the behest of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), asserting that the peaceful protests are fundamental rights of every person.

“Vinod Jakhar and his fellow workers have been arrested on false charges. They have clearly been arrested at the behest of the RSS and the incumbent government. This is a misuse of power,” Rajasthan LoP said after he visited the Central Jail in Jaipur to meet NSUI State President Vinod Jakhar and several NSUI workers who were recently arrested.

The arrests were made following protests led by the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) against a recently held RSS event at a university campus.

The police had detained Vinod Jakhar and other student leaders, citing alleged disruption of public order.

“These arrests are politically motivated. Democratic rights and freedom of expression, and peaceful protests are fundamental pillars of any democracy,” Rajasthan LoP told media persons outside the jail.

Jully, who was accompanied by MLAs Amit Chachan and Manish Yadav, added that in a democracy, every citizen has the right to raise their voice and express disagreement.

“What message is this government sending by jailing student leaders for speaking out?” he asked.

Calling the current administration a “sarkar of slips” – a reference to alleged administrative inefficiencies – Jully said the government is trying to suppress dissent by targeting youth leaders.

“They may try to silence us, but we will not remain silent,” he claimed.

The visit has sparked political debate, with the Opposition accusing the government of stifling student activism and democratic discourse in the state.

Congress has demanded an immediate release of the detained NSUI members and withdrawal of what they term as “fabricated charges.”

The incident has also drawn criticism from various student organisations and civil society groups, who see the arrests as a dangerous precedent in curbing student rights on university campuses.

–IANS

arc/dan