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New Delhi, Mar 4 (DHNS): Returning to JNU campus on his release from jail three weeks after his arrest, the university’s students’ union leader Kanhaiya Kumar on Thursday night said the students were seeking freedom within the country and not from India, as he hurled barbs at Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Addressing students at the campus, 29-year-old Kumar, who has been slapped with sedition charge for allegedly raising anti-national slogans, said he had many differences with the prime minister but he agreed with his tweet “Satyameva Jayate” which he had posted in praise of HRD Minister Smriti Irani’s fiery speech in Lok Sabha on the JNU row as it is in the Constitution. “I have many differences with the PM but I agree with his tweet ‘Satyameva Jayate’ because these words are in our Constitution,” he said, as his passionate speech was punctuated by repeated cheers and raising of slogans.

“We are not seeking ‘azaadi’(freedom) from India. We want ‘azaadi’ within India,” he said.

Thanking all who stood by him while he was in Tihar jail here, Kumar said he believed in the Constitution and judiciary of India.

Kumar said he had no ill feelings towards anyone and won’t indulge in “witch hunting” towards RSS’s student outfit ABVP.

“There is no animosity towards ABVP because we are democratic. We see them as our opposition,” he said.

“We truly believe in democracy and the Constitution. We don’t look at the ABVP as an enemy, we look at them like the Opposition,” he said.

“Let me just say it is not easy to get admission in JNU neither it is easy to silence those in JNU,” he added.

Kumar said his arrest was a planned attack on JNU. “This attack was to delegitimise the UGC protests, to prevent justice to Rohith Vemula(the dalit scholar in Hyderabad who committed suicide),” he said.

Kumar said the struggle of peace loving and progressive sections of the society in the wake of the JNU row and Rohith Vemula suicide will be a long fight.

“Is seeking freedom from thorny issues confronting India a crime?,” he asked.

He also took a dig at Modi on his 2014 pre-poll promise to deposit Rs 15 lakh in everyone’s bank account from the black money which will be brought back by his government if he comes to power.

Earlier Report

Kanhaiya released, returns to JNU; celebrations on the campus

New Delhi, Mar 3 (PTI): JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar reached the Jawaharlal Nehru University premises today hours after being released from Tihar jail where he was lodged on the charge of sedition, triggering celebrations on the campus that had lately become a venue for vociferous protests.

Students and teachers eagerly awaiting to catch a glimpse of Kanhaiya had gathered at the Ganga Dhaba from where they will take out a victory march to the Administration Block which has become a venue of protest since his arrest on February 12.

People also queued up outside Kumar's hostel Brahmaputra with 'dhols' and 'daflis' to accompany him during the march.

Meanwhile, two separate meetings of the students union and JNU teachers association were underway to decide the future course of action. Kanhaiya is expected to address the gathering after the march.

However, the university administration maintained the report of the high-level committee has not been submitted to it yet.

"The five-member panel had a deadline till 12 am today. The varsity will take a call based on the recommendations of the panel," a senior JNU official said.

After Kanhaiya was granted interim bail yesterday by the Delhi High Court, celebrations had broken out outside Parliament Street Police Station where students had been camping.

Shouting "victory" slogans for Kanhaiya, students later marched from Sabarmati Dhaba, during the night hours.

The JNUSU president was arrested in connection with an event on the campus during which anti-national slogans were allegedly raised.

Five other students -- Umar Khalid, Anirban Bhattacharya, Rama Naga, Anant Prakash and Ashutosh Kumar -- had gone in hiding since then but resurfaced on the campus 10 days later.

While Umar and Anirban surrendered before the police, the remaining three refused to do so but maintained that they are open to questioning by police as and when needed.

Kanhaiya was granted interim bail for six months by the Delhi High Court.