‘Will be on Streets When Trump Comes to India,’ BJP Says ex-JNU Student Umar Khalid Incited Riots in Delhi

In a video tweeted by several BJP leaders, Khalid is seen making 'hateful' speech in Maharashtra's Amaravati on February 17. Six days later, pro- and anti-CAA protesters clashed in Delhi; this escalated into a full-blown communal violence a day later.

New Delhi: Former Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student Umar Khalid, who is all set to face trial in connection with the 2016 JNU sedition case, on Monday found himself in the eye of the storm after the BJP tweeted a video of a speech he gave in Maharashtra’s Amaravati on February 17, alleging that it was this speech that led to violence in northeast Delhi just six days later.

On February 23, a clash broke out between pro- and anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protesters in Maujpur. A day later, however, it turned into a full-blown communal riot, spreading to various areas of northeast Delhi and continued on Tuesday. The situation was only brought under control on Wednesday and has been peaceful since then.

Today, a video was tweeted by several BJP leaders, including its IT cell in-charge Amit Malviya, of the said speech by Khalid. The video, the BJP alleged, shows that the violence was ‘pre-planned’ and timed to coincide with the maiden state visit to India by US President Donald Trump.

In the video, Khalid is heard saying, “When Donald Trump comes to India, we’ll show him that the Prime Minister of India and the government of India are creating division among the people of this country. We’ll show him that the government is destroying Mahatma Gandhi’s principles and that the people of India are rising up against their government.”

“If those who rule India want to divide the people, the people are ready to fight for the unity of the country. We’ll come out on the streets. We know that the fight is long, but we will fight,” he adds.

The above speech, however, is part of a longer speech given by the former JNU student. President Trump was on a two-day state visit to India on February 24 and 25, the two days when the violence was at its peak.

More than 40 people have been killed while over 200 have been injured in Delhi’s worst riots in nearly three decades.