JNU row: Staying mum on anti-national slogans equal to destroying nation, says NSA Ajit Doval

PUNE: Taking a strong exception to anti-national slogans raised at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) earlier this year, National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval on Tuesday said that staying mum on anti-national slogans is like destroying the nation. "It is important that we generate a national will. When some people who made no sacrifices for the country come on the streets and talk about fragmentation of India with slogans like "Bharat tere tukre honge Inshallah Inshallah", it's not what they said is important, but how the rest of the society responded is important," Doval said while addressing a function at the inauguration of Youth4Development (Y4D) here. Doval said that the national will is under a serious threat if the society remains a 'mute spectator'. "When the rest of the society is a mute spectator to that and consider this to be an event, just as a news item. If it is not something that shakes them up it means that the national will is not up to the point where it has got to be," he said. The NSA heaped praises on the nation for its ability to generate surplus food. "Today the entire West and the entire world is looking at India with hope. The nation is not only able to feed 125 crore people, but is also able to export to the world," he added. Doval's remarks comes days after the Delhi High Court put on hold the disciplinary action taken by JNU administration against students Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya, accused of sedition in connection with a February 9 event, till their appeals against the decision are decided by the university's appellate authority.