Freedom of speech and independent thinking at Indian universities are “now under threat”, former prime minister Manmohan Singh said on Friday, in a veiled jibe at the Centre. “Attempts to suppress peaceful dissent are not only inimical to learning but also undemocratic,” the Congress veteran said at the bicentenary celebration of Presidency University, Kolkata.

Singh mentioned the instances of Hyderabad Central University and Jawaharlal Nehru University to highlight where protesting voices had been silenced. The 84-year-old leader defined nationalism as the encouragement of dissent, not its suppression, PTI reported.

“It is only by constructive engagements that we can truly build a stronger, more cohesive and sustaining democracy,” he said, criticising political interference in appointments to academic institutions. “We must make every effort to protect the autonomy of our universities.”

Singh added that there was a growing trend worldwide to disregard reason and rationality. “We must protect India from this trend, and universities have a vital role in this regard,” he said.