Umar Khalid reaches JNU, says they were jailed for opposing the government

He also blamed that the RSS is trying to militarise the country with their false agenda on 'Nationalism'

New Delhi, March 18: Returning to Jawaharlal Nehru University after getting an interim bail for six month by the Patiala House Court, Umar Khalid said that all the students were arrested because they had opposed the government. Umar slammed the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh for trying to break the unity of students by framing them as “Anti-nationals” but they had full faith in the constitution and that is why they are out on bail.

Addressing the students at the campus on Friday hours after being released from Tihar Jail, Khalid said that he is proud to be arrested on sedition charges which were imposed by the British on Indians. He also blamed that the present government is trying to militarise the country with their false agenda on ‘Nationalism’. Khalid who was on run from February 9 to February 23 for raising ‘anti-national’ slogans, had surrendered himself to the police on February 23 night and was sent for judicial custody along with his colleague Anirban Bhattacharya. ALSO READ: JNU row: Court rubbishes Delhi Police claim and grants bail to Umar Khalid, Anirban Bhattacharya

Speaking for the first time after being released on bail, Khalid said that RSS is trying to impose their ideology of ‘nationalism’ on the students and and for that they are misusing the government machinery. However, they will not be able to succeed in their motive, he added. Khalid blamed the right-wing students leaders for trying to defame the central university for raising serious issues that deals with people of India. He also raised the issue of Special Economic Zone, which in the name of development had taken lands from poor farmers and had exploited them.

Umar Khalid, Anirban Bhattacharya and JNU Students’ Union president Kanhaiya Kumar were charged with sedition laws under section 124 A of IPC for allegedly raising ‘anti-national’ slogans on February 9, while commemorating the death of Afzal Guru in the campus. Though Kanhaiya was arrested on February 12 by Delhi police, Khalid and Anirban ran away from University and returned back on February 23. Kanhaiya was granted interim bail for six months on March 3 and the other two were awarded bail on Friday by Patiala House Court.