Shashi Tharoor criticises ABVP, says it is running ‘Break In India’ campaign

Commenting on the controversy over "anti-national" slogan-shouting at Jawaharlal Nehru University, senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Thursday said while the Narendra Modi-led government is busy with 'Make In India', ABVP is indulging in "Break In India" campaign.

"During your foreign visits you (the Prime Minister) are attracting investments and talking about Make In India. Meanwhile your party's students' wing, ABVP, is running 'Break In India' campaign at the JNU," Tharoor said here.

"Government should withdraw the case of sedition (against students' leader Kanhaiya Kumar) and sort out the JNU dispute at the earliest. The discussion in the international media on the issue is bringing bad name to the country," the former Union Minister said.

Reminding the BJP of promise of good governance, Tharoor asked, "What kind of good governance is this where students are beaten up at a Delhi court premises?" "People running our country should be large-hearted. The democratic values should be upheld," he said.

Asked about the "anti-national" slogans at JNU, he said, "Our country isn't so weak that it will be undermined by a few foolish words of kids. Autonomy of universities should remain intact," he said, adding "nobody has copyright on patriotism." "We are all patriots," he said, and wondered why the "#shutdownJNU" was running on Twitter.