Ex-JNU student Umar Khalid’s arrest a ‘conspiracy’, says Prashant Bhushan

‘Umar Khalid’s arrest by Delhi police after naming Yechury, Yogendra Yadav, Jayati Ghosh & Apoorvanand leaves no doubt at all about the mala fide nature of its investigation into Delhi riots,’ says the advocate

Several people on social media have come out in support of former Jawaharlal Nehru University student Umar Khalid who was arrested on Sunday by the Delhi Police Special Cell in connection with communal riots which broke out in the Capital in February.

Advocate Prashant Bhushan raised doubts about the investigation. “Umar Khalid’s arrest by Delhi police after naming Yechury, Yogendra Yadav, Jayati Ghosh & Apoorvanand leaves no doubt at all about the mala fide nature of its investigation into Delhi riots. It’s a conspiracy by the police to frame peaceful activists in the guise of Investigation,” he said in a tweet.

Also read: Police link Sitaram Yechury, Yogendra Yadav to Delhi riots

An Indian Youth Congress leader Srivatsa Y.B. said the arrest was targeted. “Kapil Mishra screamed ‘Goli Maaro’ in his hate speech which had a big role to play in the riots Forget arrest or UAPA, there was not even a FIR against him What has Umar Khalid done? BJP govt is purposefully hounding him. Will judiciary uphold liberty?” he tweeted.

Author Saba Naqvi also supported Mr. Khalid and spoke against the arrest. “When an actor can be treated as an enemy of the people, what chance did#UmarKhalid have, a Left activist and Indian Muslim, outstanding student, against whom a narrative has been constructed by TV channels since 2016,” she said in a tweet.

Student activist Gurmehar Kaur tweeted the statement Mr. Khalid had allegedly made. “ ‘We won’t respond to violence with violence. We won’t respond to hate with hate. If they spread hate, we will respond to it with love. If they thrash us with lathis, we keep holding the tricolour.’ –Umar Khalid #FREEUMARKHALID” she said.

Mr. Khalid was arrested on Sunday under Sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. He was earlier questioned by the unit and on September 1, wrote to Commissioner of Police S.N. Shrivastava stating that he was being falsely implicated.