Union Minister Arun Jaitley on Friday responded to the Opposition's criticism of the Centre over the Jawaharlal Nehru University row, and asked if seditious speech can be regarded as freedom of expression. Referring to the violence at the Patiala House Court last week during a hearing of the case, Jaitley said in the Rajya Sabha, "Vandalism is condemnable, but sedition is free speech?" He also asked rhetorically whether people "whose ideology is to break the nation" should be respected. Three students, including JNU Students’ Union president Kanhaiya Kumar, have been charged with sedition for reportedly shouting anti-national slogans at an event protesting the hanging of Parliament-attack convict Afzal Guru.

Jaitley also supported the actions of the Delhi Police in the case, after the JNU administration was criticised for allowing the police to enter the campus for its investigation. He said, "JNU is not a sovereign territory that the police cannot enter. If the Indian Penal Code is being violated, the police is in its right to enter." Jaitley also called the February 9 event at JNU, where the anti-national slogans were allegedly raised, a "charter to break the country".

Home Minister Rajnath Singh also defended the Delhi Police in the Rajya Sabha and said he believed the police were being treated unfairly. Singh said the police made all efforts to maintain law and order in the capital. The police have also been accused of standing by idly as people were attacked by lawyers at Patiala House Court, as well as basing their evidence for the sedition case againt Kumar on doctored footage.

Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, the Congress’ Ghulam Nabi Azad, asked the Centre to slap sedition charges instead on a television channel that has been accused of doctoring footage relating to the JNU sedition case. Referring to lawyers assaulting people at the Patiala House Court, Azad said the Centre and police took action to save the lawyers, not those who were attacked.

The JNU row and Vemula’s suicide led to several disruptions in both Houses of Parliament on Wednesday. After the Winter session of Parliament was disrupted by the Opposition, several bills including the Goods and Service Taxes Bill have been pending.