'Govt proving the point on murder of democracy': Cong reacts to IB team's visit to Ashoka University

The Congress on Tuesday slammed the BJP-led Central government, accusing it of sending an Intelligence Bureau (IB) team to Haryana-based Ashoka University amid the controversy surrounding professor Sabayasachi Das' research paper. The party said "the government is only proving the point of murder of democracy". 

In a tweet, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said: "By sending the Intelligence Bureau after an academic in a premier private university -- for analysing with evidence democratic backsliding in India -- the Narendra Modi-led Central government is only proving the point about the murder of democracy in India. Truly unprecedented." 

He also attached a news report with his tweets. 

His remarks came after a team of Intelligence Bureau knocked on the doors of the Ashoka University, just two days ahead of the deadline by the faculty members to accept their demands to not interfere in their work and to address the issue concerning Professor Das by August 23.

Sources at the university campus told IANS that a team of IB sleuths had arrived at the varsity campus to look for Das. The source said that they wanted to meet Das, whose research paper suggesting voter manipulation in 2019 elections sparked a controversy. 

However, the IB sleuths were informed by the varsity officials that Das is on leave. 

Following the conversation, the IB officials wished to meet other faculty members at the Economics Department. 

Das had resigned from the university earlier this month, after which professor Pulapre Balakrishnan too resigned in protest over acceptance of his resignation. 

Several departments of the varsity including Economics, Sociology and Anthropology and Political Science have extended their solidarity to Das, demanding his reinstation immediately.

As many as 320 economists from 91 universities across the country have extended their support to Das, urging the varsity to immediately reinstate him.