Chidambaram criticises Delhi govt decision to prosecute Kanhaiya in sedition case

On Friday, seven months after its standing counsel advised against prosecution sanction to Delhi Police in the case, the AAP government gave the nod to Delhi Police to Prosecute Kumar.

Delhi Government is no less ill-informed than the central government in its understanding of sedition law.

I strongly disapprove of the sanction granted to prosecute Mr Kanhaiya Kumar and others for alleged offences under sections 124A and 120B of IPC.

— P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) February 29, 2020

In its chargesheet, the police has claimed that Kumar led a procession and supported — along with others named as accused — seditious slogans raised on the JNU campus on February 9, 2016 during an event to mark the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru.

Reacting to the move, Kanhaiya Kumar urged government officials and the police to ensure a speedy trial in a fast track court. “There is a need for fast track courts and speedy action in the sedition so that the country can know how the sedition law has been misused in this entire case for political gains and to divert people from their basic issues,” he said  in a tweet.

The wait for prosecution sanction had been a constant irritant in the already strained ties between the AAP government in Delhi and the Centre. Police claimed the trial was stalled for want of sanction and several BJP leaders accused AAP of shielding the students by not giving the go-ahead.