"Freedom of expression is not under threat, if you are with the regime," Umar Khalid said.
Highlights
- Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya were released from jail today.
- The two were arrested on February 23 in connection with sedition case.
- 'No grief over being booked for sedition' Mr Khalid said.
Hours after he was released on bail in a sedition case, JNU student Umar Khalid charged the government of spreading false rumours against him. "I did not project myself as a practising Muslim but I was treated like an Islamist terrorist," he said in a speech on campus tonight.
His speech, attended by hundreds of supporters including JNU students' union president Kanhaiya, followed a solidarity march after he was released from jail along with fellow JNU student Anirban Bhattacharya.
The two were granted bail earlier today and released from Tihar jail, 26 days after they had surrendered in the sedition case against them. The case pertains to organising a programme on the campus on February 9 against the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru.
Mr Khalid led the crowd is shouting slogans against the RSS. "I want to say this government and RSS felt they could break us, our unity and our courage. They were wrong," he said.
The JNU student said he felt "no grief or embarrassment over being booked for sedition."
Sedition, he said, "is the law under which the great freedom fighters of our country were booked. Our name has been clubbed with theirs," he said.
"Freedom of expression is not under threat, if you are with the regime," Mr Khalid said. "I did not consider myself a practicing Muslim but I was projected as an Islamist terrorist. It seemed as if the entire Muslim community is on trial. I felt like the reluctant fundamentalist who wanted to grow a long beard," he said as he charged the government with being "anti-Dalit, anti-tribal and anti-humanity."