New Dehli: Hours after the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Delhi government, on Friday, February 28, permitted the prosecution of former Jawaharlal Nehru University Student Union leader Kanhaiya Kumar, the latter sarcastically thanked the State and the Delhi Police and advised them to fast-track his case in a court of law, rather than on television.
Taking to Twitter on Friday, the left leader wrote in Hindi, “Thank you Delhi government for granting permission for the sedition case. The Delhi Police and government officials are urged to take this case seriously (and have a) speedy trial in a fast-track court and to ensure justice in a court of law instead of ‘Aapki Adalat’ on TV. Satyameva Jayate.”
It can be recalled that Kumar was charged with sedition for allegedly leading a procession that allegedly chanted anti-national slogans during an on-campus event in February of 2016.
In a subsequent tweet, Kumar explained the need for “fast track court and speedy action in the sedition case” so that the country “can know how the sedition law has been misused” for political gains and to “divert” the people’s attention from “basic issues”.
It can be recalled that in a 2018 consultation paper, concerns over the misuse of sedition law were flagged by the Law Commission. It said that criticism of the country could not amount to sedition. It also pointed out that the United Kingdom, the originator of the law, had itself abolished the same.
AAP spokesperson and MLA Raghav Chadha, however, said that the decision to grant permission for the prosecution was “purely a procedural matter”.
The BJP, however, specifically Manoj Tiwari, welcomed the decision, while also managing to take a jibe at the CM.
He tweeted, “Probably keeping current political situation in mind,CM @ArvindKejriwal has finally given sanction to prosecute formerJNUSU leader Kanhiya Kr in a sedition case.We welcome the decision.We had been demanding that the Kejriwal govt gave the approval& let the law take its own course. [sic]”
The Delhi government’s decision comes after the Special Cell of Delhi Police wrote to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s government last week requesting expedition.
