The League said universities should be a-political institutions.
Montanari, a prominent left-wing intellectual who often appears in the media, said the Italian State was “betraying itself” in granting a day of national mourning to a late prime minister for the first time, for such a divisive figure.
He said his refusal was simply “an act of patriotism”.
A movement titled “I'm Not In Mourning” swept Italy on Wednesday as Italians who did not agree with the day of mourning protested against giving such an honour to such a polarising figure.
Several councils in towns and cities run by the centre-left opposition Democratic Party (PD) also refused to fly their flags at half mast, a decision described as a “disgrace” by the League.
A number of opposition politicians have also expressed dissent about the decision by Meloni’s government to declare a day of national mourning for Berlusconi’s Wednesday funeral at Milan Cathedral.
“A State funeral was due, but the day of national mourning was decided on by a government that Berlusconi helped to create,” ex-minister Rosy Bindi, a member of the opposition, centre-left Democratic Party (PD) and a former politician for the once-dominant but now defunct Christian Democracy (DC) party, said.
“The government has risked exposing the country to division.
“A day of national morning had never been proclaimed for a prime minister (unless they went on to become president) and it has always been done to unite the country, not divide it.
“It is held for the victims of bombings, of terrorism, of natural disasters.
“Those who should be called on to adopt discretion in the face of the death are on his political side, because piety and sharing the pain does not justify sanctifying a person who had merits but also had great limitations that continue to have an impact on the country”.
Several other PD politicians also said declaring a day of national mourning was inappropriate although the party’s leader, Elly Schlein, is attending the funeral.
But ex-prime minister and opposition 5-Star Movement (M5S) leader Giusppe Conte is not going and neither are Italian Left (SI) leader Nicola Fratoianni nor Green chief Angelo Bonelli.
Paolo Barelli, the Lower House whip for Berlusconi’s Forza Italia party, said those criticising the decision to hold a day of national mourning were “discordant voices” that wanted to created a row out of nothing.
“I think we are only realising now the greatness of this figure,” Barelli added.
ANSA
