Afzal Guru is not my icon, Rohit is: Kanhaiya

"Afzal Guru is not an icon for me, Rohit Vemula is my icon," said Kanhaiya at a press conference after his fiery speech last night.

He made his stand clear on his support for the cause of Rohit Vemula who committed suicide in Hyderabad University after alleged persecution by the varsity authority.

Kanhaiya was arrested after an event in the JNU campus where Afzal Guru's death anniversary was observed and anti-India slogans were allegedly raised.

He said Afzal Guru was a citizen of India and Jammu and Kashmir which is part of India and he was convicted by a court which also grant people right to have their own opinions.

To a question he said Jammu and Kashmir is a part of India.

He said he is not a political leader but a student and a student leader speaking on behalf of students.

He said he would always fight for rights but would not comment on the court case since it is sub judice.

He said no one has a patent on any people, like Ambedkar, and he does not see all things in only black and white.

Earlier after reaching the university campus on Thursday night he gave a fiery speech where he challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and likened him to Hitler.

In a speech addressed to students which appeared a no-holds-barred attack on the government and was targetted particularly at Narendra Modi, Kanhaiya said : "PM Modi spoke about Stalin and Khrushchev today in Parliament. I felt like going inside the TV and hold him and ask him why he is not talking about Hitler too sometimes."

Amid changing of slogans of azadi (freedom) from hunger and corruption, he said the government is scared of JNU and students are used as tools to slap sedition charges.