The Yogi Adityanath-led Bharatiya Janata Party government today cleared a draft ordinance seeking a pledge from private universities in Uttar Pradesh that they won’t allow anti-national activities on their campus. The move has upset Opposition leaders with many of them questioning the decision. Uttar Pradesh Deputy CM KP Maurya on Wednesday confirmed that UP Cabinet has cleared a draft ordinance asking universities to give an undertaking that anti-national activities on campus will not be allowed. He said that the cabinet has taken a decision that universities limit themselves to imparting education and advocated zero tolerance to anti-national activities on campus.

However, the move has not gone down well with Opposition parties such as Congress which asked the Uttar Pradesh government to explain what it meant by “anti-national activities” in the first place. In a tweet, the Congress said: “Given that free speech has often been labeled as “anti-national” & Indians have suffered for it, the UP govt must define exactly what they mean by “anti-national activities”.” It further said that universities have to remain a space where students feel free and secure.

Samajwadi Party chief and former UP CM Akhilesh Yadav also criticised the move saying it will lead to the closure of private varsities in the state. He called it a restriction that will force people to not open private universities in UP. Akhilesh Yadav said that CM Yogi Adityanath is making things tougher for the new investors in the education sector by taking such a move.

UP minister Sidharth Nath Singh, however, called the draft ordinance a ‘significant decision’ that will improve the standard of education and will control errant private universities. But SP leader and Rampur MP Azam Khan thinks that the government should first create a system for education first. “The kids are playing on the streets, working in hotels, working in the houses of rich people, how will we stop that?” he said speaking to a news channel.

SDPI President Taslim Rehmani also opposed the ordinance saying it will insult the sentiments of the country. He said that there are enough rules and legislation against anti-national activities in the country and by bringing such ordinance the government is creating a narrative that people are anti-national in the country. Joining him was NCP leader and Rajya Sabha member Majeed Menon who said that there was no need for such a law as the penal code is already there and it takes care of all anti-national activities.

The BJP has, however, defended the move, saying it will promote national integration, equality and harmony, while pulling the plug on any terror-related activities in the state.

The ordinance will serve as an umbrella act for 27 private universities in UP which were operating under separate acts until now. The “Uttar Pradesh Private Universities Ordinance, 2019”, hands existing universities one year to implement all provisions of the proposed law. Provisions have been made to punish universities found violating the provision on “anti-national activities)”.

The move comes following a prolonged standoff between the students of Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University over students indulging in alleged anti-national activities. Trouble has also been brewing at the Aligarh Muslim University where a section of students and Hindu outfits have been in the crosshairs for similar reasons.