When JNU Students Leader Kanhaiya Kumar was led into court today, he was kicked and punched by a defiant group of lawyers who were not even supposed to be there. This is the second time that this has happened. Previously many students who came out in support of Mr. Kumar were also attacked and injured along with many journalists who had come to cover Mr. Kumar’s day in court.
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To bring you up to speed, Mr. Kumar was arrested from within the University Campus where he was allegedly raising questions about the way the current BJP led government was running things in the country. At a previous rally some other students had made remarks about freeing Kashmir from what they called ‘Indian Military Oppression’. There was mass outrage to the slogans raised on the previous day but Mr. Kumar has denied having anything to do with that incident. He was arrested on the next day during a different rally but under charges of sedition.
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The world over the arrest of a student leader for exercising his rights within the constitution of the country have been questioned. In fact 93 professors and academics from prestigious universities from around the world have condemned the act of arresting Mr. Kumar, because they say that he was not party to the alleged anti-national sentiments related to Kashmiri’s and that the video recording of his speech prove this. The fact that students and journalists are being attacked by mobs in the presence of police officers is definitely getting more heckles raised.
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It is being widely reported in the media that Delhi Police Chief B.N. Bassi has been downplaying these incidents saying that the situation was never out of control. In the meantime lawyers have been boasting to the media that they have”done their bit”, referring to the slapping around of Mr. Kumar on his way to court. The supreme court has agreed to hear the case urgently and has requested more police personnel presence for the security of Mr. Kumar.
Author: Tora Sen
