A crackdown on dissent and free speech at universities has brought him and hundreds of others to a protest march in the capital, New Delhi.

It comes after student Rohith Vemula committed suicide in January over allegations of caste discrimination and harassment at the University of Hyderabad.

The following month Kanhaiya Kumar, a student union leader at Delhi`s Jawaharlal Nehru University, was arrested and charged with sedition and faces a potential life sentence.

"I am angry," says Surjeet.

"The reason is that this government has been oppressing the voice of students whenever there is an opposition to their ideology, their ideology of Hindu nationalism. They attack students wherever they can."

Student leader Kanhaiya Kumar (centre) was charged with sedition

The row threatens to wash out the crucial budget session of parliament which began this week.

Opposition parties have come together to attack the Narendra Modi government.

Srikant Sharma, national secretary of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), told Sky News the allegations were "wrong and baseless" and came from "political parties and not students".

"There is freedom of speech in this country but there is a lakshman rekha, or red line, and you cannot cross it for your freedom of speech," said Mr Sharma.

"The country`s constitution does not permit it. If you do then a sedition charge under section 124A will be levelled against you and the law will take its course."

The anti-India slogans allegedly raised by student union leader Kanhaiya Kumar are yet to be proved. And, while in court for his bail hearing and under police protection, Mr Kumar was beaten by a group of men in lawyers` robes.

The debate on nationalism has threatened to split India.



BJP supporters voiced their anger over the allegedly anti-India slogans

Right-wing organisations have played up their brand of patriotism.

Kavita Krishnan, secretary of the All India Progressive Women`s Association, calls the situation one of "frightening bigotry" and an attack on places which host "democratic debate".

"The government is in control of ultra-Hindu right-wing organisations and they brand those of any opposition ideology as anti-national," she said.

Opposition leader and vice president of the Congress party, Rahul Gandhi, has also waded into the fray.

Showing solidarity with protesting students, he said "the voice of the youth is being crushed"

"We don`t want an India which has only one kind of thought and ideology," he said. "We want every citizen to have the freedom to speech."

Writers, intellectuals, academics, and a number of civil society personalities have also expressed concern over rising intolerance in the country.



Protesters in New Delhi show solidarity with Kanhaiya Kumar

Many have returned their state and national awards in response to right-wing violence.

In September last year, a Muslim man was lynched by a mob on rumours that he stored beef at his house.

Prime Minister Modi called it unfortunate but said his government was not to blame.

The attack on freedom of speech and dissent is the latest in the war to gain control of higher education institutions which are often the bastions of leftist ideology.

India has the largest youth population in the world under the age of 24.

For them, debate and discussion is crucial for a healthy democracy. They want their voice heard however contrary and challenging.

"This movement is an expression of students` unity and solidarity and no matter what happens we are all together," says Manjushree, a student at Jawaharlal University.

"We will fight whatever the central government and its right-wing forces will unleash on us. We are going to fight and stand together and will say `no` in an emphatic and clear voice."

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