Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday said that protesting against the government should not be treated as an anti-national act and urged authorities to stop taking action against students who participated in demonstrations over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination.
Speaking to reporters in Jammu, Abdullah said the students had protested to safeguard their rights and that none of their demands was against the country.
“They protested for what was rightfully theirs. Their protest was against the government, not against the nation,” he said.
Referring to recent remarks by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat, the Chief Minister welcomed the distinction made between opposing the government and acting against the nation, describing it as an encouraging perspective.
Abdullah called on the authorities to refrain from penalising students for participating in peaceful protests and stressed that democratic dissent should not be viewed as anti-national.
