On Monday after activist Umar Khalid and Sherjeel Imam were denied bail by the Supreme Court, controversial slogans targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi were heard in the campus of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). Both Khalid and Imam have been in jail for almost 5 years now. The duo is facing charges of ‘larger conspiracy’ in the 2020 Delhi riots case. The slogans were directly against PM Modi, RSS, ABVP. The slogans were related to coffins and Modi; it seemed as a direct threat message. Sources confirmed that slogans were heard from JNU Sabarmati Hostel between 9 pm-10 pm. It has been confirmed by the joint secretary of (JNUSU), the Left-backed JNU Students’ Union, Danish and by the secretary, Sunil, they both were present on spot when the slogans were raised.
What do BJP leaders have to say about anti-Modi slogans?
BJP leader and Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa reacted to the anti-Modi slogan incident at JNU, he said, “what is there left to say if they start protesting against the judgment of the Supreme Court? They have no link with this country. They are people who want to break up India, they speak ill of the Prime Minister,”
Pravin K Piyush, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) secretary at JNU, said that the Left students shouted slogans near Sabarmati Hostel. They spoke ill against RSS, ABVP, PM Modi ji and they are planning to file a complaint against them. During a television interview when Piyush was asked the next course of action, he said, “We will pursue this matter and make sure they are punished,”.
This isn’t the first time that such slogans were raised in JNU, earlier politicians like Kanhaiya Kumar AND Shehla Rashid had a history of similar kind, they too were part of the sloganeering cohort in JNU.
Why did the Supreme Court deny bail to Umar Khalid and Sherjeel Imam?
In the bail hearing on Monday, a bench composed of Justices Aravind Kumar and Prasanna B Varale said that the prosecution evidence and other material “does not justify their enlargement on bail”, and even records suggest their involvement in planning, mobilisation of crowds that later turned into riots. However, the court granted bail to five other accused named Gulfisha Fatima, Meeran Haider, Shifa Ur Rehman, Mohd Saleem Khan, and Shadab Ahmed. Before denying bail to Khaid and Imam, the Supreme Court noted that the court is completely satisfied that there is enough evidence that indicates the duo being involved in the criminal conspiracy.
The hearing was scheduled after all seven accused including Khalid and Imam challenged the Delhi High Court order that denied them bail under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, or (UAPA), and linked them to the alleged larger conspiracy behind the 2020 Delhi riots.
While reading the verdict, the court read out the charges against all seven individuals and said that each one has to be treated differently for bail, as charges vary. “Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam stand on a qualitatively different footing as compared to other accused,” the bench said.
