How BJP Student Wing Reacted To Kanhiya Kumar, Who Trended Worldwide

New Delhi:  Kanhiya Kumar's speech, delivered last night at the Jawaharlal Nehru University or JNU, where he pledged his commitment to fighting for "azaadi (freedom) not from, but in India" catalyzed him into a worldwide trend on Twitter.  The nearly one-hour -long address  was fiercely critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government.  Unsurprisingly, students from the ABVP, the youth wing of the ruling BJP, aren't impressed

Mr Kumar, President of the Left-affiliated JNU Students Union, was arrested on sedition charges last month, forging an international debate on whether  the government is using the charge of "anti-national" as a fig leaf for cracking down on dissent and free speech.

Mr Kumar has denied making anti-India remarks at a rally at JNU in February, after which he was arrested. Footage of Mr Kumar that was televised by some news channels has been declared doctored by a forensic lab that was asked to examine the video by the Delhi government.

"Nobody is anyone's enemy here, everybody sits together and has tea as we  discuss our ideologies, but if anyone is going to do sloganeering against our country we would react," said Saurabh Verma, General Secretary of the BJP's student wing at JNU. It was on the basis of an ABVP complaint that a BJP parliamentarian filed a police case last month, leading to the jailing of Mr Kumar after a controversial police raid on campus to find him. Two other students from JNU are still in prison. 

Mr Kumar, 28, has been given bail by the Delhi High Court with a list of conditions that include a commitment to not participating "actively or passively in any activity which may be termed anti-national". 

Mr Sharma  said that the Delhi government's inquiry, which clears  Mr Kumar of making inflammatory remarks, is not the last word on the case. "Kanhaiya  Kumar has got conditional bail; we believe in the workings of the court, we are waiting for the final result," he said.


Sponsored link

Congress firm on challenging BJP's version of nationalism

Sonia has urged the party to fight the BJP and the RSS over the question of nationalism, sources said.

After Human Resource and Development Minister (HRD) Smriti Irani’s spirited defence against the two controversies that broke out in Hyderabad Central University (HCU) and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), the Congress on Friday decided to remain firm on debating nationalism in Parliament.

Sources said that party president Sonia Gandhi made it clear that “the leadership agrees on principle that they must fight the BJP and the RSS over the question of nationalism.” On Wednesday evening, the party staged a walkout in the Lok Sabha before Ms. Irani began her speech, which was later applauded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

On Thursday, Deputy Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Anand Sharma, objected to Ms. Irani’s repeated attempt to debate Mahishasura, whom she referred to as a demon decapitated by Goddess Durga, saying that the Minister cannot bring up “blasphemous” narratives that are baseless and are confined to campuses.

Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Sharma said the party is interested in debating nationalism as long as the ruling party doesn’t commit “blasphemy” or “misrepresent facts.”

“Why shouldn’t we discuss nationalism? And why shouldn’t we stop them from doing blasphemous talk?” said Mr.Sharma.

“India is a 83 % Hindu majority country. We don’t want religious sentiments to be hurt. Even if something was said about Prophet [Mohammad], Congress would not have kept quiet.”

Mr. Sharma said that the party is pleased to see that there is a “counter narrative” building against the ruling BJP. “You think followers of Nathuram Godse and Veer Savarkar don’t have a counter narrative in republic of India? Still 69 % of Indians voted against the BJP. Let’s not forget that.”  

Sponsord Link

JNU row: Umar Khalid, Anirban Bhattacharya 'cooperating' with Delhi Police in interrogation

The Delhi Police interrogated Jawaharlal Nehru University students Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya, who have been booked on charges of sedition, in the wee hours on Wednesday and asked them about the sequence of events that took place on February 9.

In an interrogation that lasted for almost five hours, the police asked the two about their whereabouts during the incident and also on their alleged raising anti-national sloganeering.

The police also asked Umar about his call detail records. Both Umar and Anirban revealed to the police about their location when they were absconding and also assisted the police in the interrogation. The Delhi Police have made a plan based on which the two would be presented before the Magistrate, ensuring their safety.

Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya, who have been booked on charges of sedition, surrendered before the Delhi Police late last night following which they were questioned for at least five hours. Earlier during the day, the Delhi High Court had refused to grant them protection from arrest and told them that they will have to surrender and face the law.

The two have been placed under police custody at South Campus police station. A medical check was conducted on both the students in the police station and they were questioned for around five hours.

The duo returned to the JNU campus last Sunday after remaining underground since February 12.

Khalid and Bhattacharya are among the five students who, along with JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar, had allegedly shouted anti-national slogans at an event organised in the university campus on February 9.

Besides Kumar, Khalid and Bhattacharya, the other students are Rama Naga, Ashutosh Kumar and Anant Prakash. Delhi Police had issued a look-out notice on February 20 against Khalid, Bhattacharya, Naga, Ashutosh and Prakash.

Sponsored link

JNU row: HC asks police to file status report of probe in Kanhaiya case

Delhi high court on Tuesday directed the city police to file by Wednesday a status report of its investigation in the sedition case in which JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar has been arrested.

The court's direction came while hearing Kanhaiya's bail plea which was opposed by Delhi Police.

As soon as the hearing commenced before Justice Pratibha Rani at 10.30am, the bench said, "Are you filing a status report? If you were aware, you should have done it."

Additional solicitor general (ASG) Tushar Mehta, appearing for the police, told the bench that they were opposing the bail plea of Kanhaiya.

At this juncture, the bench said, "What about the status report. If you do not have the status report, I will not proceed. Ask your investigating officer to file the report."

ASG Mehta, however, told the bench that they will file the status report in a sealed cover as "this is a pre-charge sheet bail and the status report cannot be shown to the accused."

To this, the bench observed, "I do not need it in a sealed cover. You will have to file it. Issue notice. File the status report by tomorrow."

The bench, however, clarified that the status report will be limited to the extent of bail only.

As the matter commenced, senior standing counsel of Delhi government advocate Rahul Mehra opposed the appearance of ASGs Mehta and Sanjay Jain and lawyer Anil Soni, saying before appearing in the matter they should show notification in this regard.

"If they don't have the same (notification) they cannot stand on their legs before this court," Mehra told the bench.

elhi high court on Tuesday directed the city police to file by Wednesday a status report of its investigation in the sedition case in which JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar has been arrested.

The court's direction came while hearing Kanhaiya's bail plea which was opposed by Delhi Police.

As soon as the hearing commenced before Justice Pratibha Rani at 10.30am, the bench said, "Are you filing a status report? If you were aware, you should have done it."

Additional solicitor general (ASG) Tushar Mehta, appearing for the police, told the bench that they were opposing the bail plea of Kanhaiya.

At this juncture, the bench said, "What about the status report. If you do not have the status report, I will not proceed. Ask your investigating officer to file the report."

ASG Mehta, however, told the bench that they will file the status report in a sealed cover as "this is a pre-charge sheet bail and the status report cannot be shown to the accused."

To this, the bench observed, "I do not need it in a sealed cover. You will have to file it. Issue notice. File the status report by tomorrow."

The bench, however, clarified that the status report will be limited to the extent of bail only.

As the matter commenced, senior standing counsel of Delhi government advocate Rahul Mehra opposed the appearance of ASGs Mehta and Sanjay Jain and lawyer Anil Soni, saying before appearing in the matter they should show notification in this regard.

"If they don't have the same (notification) they cannot stand on their legs before this court," Mehra told the bench.

Advocate Mehra, however, said, "They have crossed the 'laxman rekha' and I will not allow this unless the court passes an order. I am appointed by the full court reference of this high court."

Mehra also contended that the status report in this matter has to be filed by the Delhi Police commissioner and he has to clarify his stand as he had earlier said that the police will not oppose Kanhaiya's bail plea.

Sponsored link

JNU Case: Support For Arrested Student From Chomsky, Pamuk, 84 Others

Eminent academicians, scientists and writers from across the world, including Noam Chomsky and Orhan Pamuk, have recorded their condemnation of the arrest of a JNU student in a strongly-worded statement that says it is "evidence of the present government's deeply authoritarian nature, intolerant of any dissent".

A statement signed by 86 academicians from renowned universities also condemns "the culture of authoritarian menace that the present government in India has generated".

The statement says: "We have learnt of the shameful act of the Indian government which, invoking sedition laws formulated by India's colonial rulers, ordered the police to enter the Jawaharlal Nehru University campus and unlawfully arrest a student leader, Mr. Kanhaiya Kumar, on charges of inciting violence --without any proof whatever of such wrongdoing on his part."

Kanhaiya Kumar was arrested last week for allegedly shouting anti-India slogans during an event held on the campus on February 9 in support of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, who was hanged three years ago.

Mr Kumar has been charged with sedition, for which the maximum punishment is a life term. A report by the Delhi Police on the arrest credits "reliable sources", explaining sedition charges against the student.

Expressing solidarity with protesting JNU students and faculty, who have boycotted classes to press for Mr Kumar's release, the statement says: "Mr. Kumar, whose speech (widely available on a video) cannot in any way be connected with the slogans uttered on the previous day, was nonetheless arrested for 'anti-national' behaviour and for violating the sedition laws against the incitement to violence. Since there is no evidence to establish these charges, we can only conclude that this arrest is further evidence of the present government's deeply authoritarian nature, intolerant of any dissent, setting aside India's longstanding commitment to toleration and plurality of opinion, replicating the dark times of an oppressive colonial period and briefly of the Emergency in the mid-1970s. "

The action of the police had brought "great dishonor" to the government, the signatories assert, and urge "all those genuinely concerned about the future of India and Indian universities to protest in wide mobilization against it."

Sponsored link