Activists demand release of JNU student Kanhaiya

JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar

Activists raised their voice against the ‘sedition’ law in view of JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar’s arrest by Delhi police for allegedly shouting ‘anti-national’ slogans. A public meeting was organised on Tuesday at Patrakar Bhavan by the People’s Union For Civil Liberties (PUCL), National Alliance of People’s Movements and other organisations.

Ramesh Awasthi, president of PUCL, Maharashtra, demanded that the sedition law be repealed, claiming that it is not required in a sovereign state like India. He also demanded the release of Kanhaiya, who was arrested on charges of sedition and criminal conspiracy on February 12 after an event at the JNU campus against the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru.

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Awasthi condemned the attack on Kanhaiya and other JNU students and faculty, and journalists in Patiala House Courts. He demanded action against lawyers and BJP MLA OP Sharma who allegedly participated in the assaults and also against Delhi police commissioner BS Bassi for the failure of police in handling the situation.

Activist Nitish Navsagare told how Tilak, Gandhi and Nehru were against the sedition law but none of the governments repealed it as they all wanted to use it as a tool for crushing dissent.