JNU Row: Pleas In Court Over Kanhaiya Kumar's Post-Release Speech

New Delhi: The speech by JNU Students Union President Kanhaiya Kumar subsequent to his release on bail was the bone of contention in two pleas before the Delhi High Court seeking action against him as well as cancellation of the six-month interim relief granted to him.

While the High Court refused to entertain the petition seeking action against the student leader for allegedly making anti-national remarks in his speech, the other plea seeking cancellation of his bail will be heard tomorrow.

The second plea is listed for hearing tomorrow before Justice Pratibha Rani, who declined to hear the first petition seeking action against Mr Kumar, facing sedition charge in connection with an event at JNU on February 9 where anti-national slogans were allegedly raised and Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru hailed as a 'martyr'.

The court dismissed the plea by a social activist, saying there is law and order in place for handling instances where anti-national slogans are being raised and the petitioner need not worry about the image of the nation.

It also questioned the locus standi of petitioner for filing the petition seeking direction for action against Mr Kumar for committing sedition and to refer the matter for further probe by the Intelligence Bureau "in the interest of justice".

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The second plea was filed by a lawyer, Prashant Kumar Umrao, who has sought cancellation of Mr Kumar's bail on the ground that his speech subsequent to his release was "anti-national" and thus he violated the bail conditions.

The petitioner has alleged "the speech and slogans given/ raised by Respondent No. 2 (Kanhaiya) and his associates was nothing but challenging the sovereignty and integrity of the nation and, therefore, clear violation of the conditions of the interim bail as same was nothing but the continuity of anti-national activities, lowering the reputation of entire country and its citizens in the entire world."

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Mr Umrao has alleged in his plea that Mr Kumar has "continued his anti-national activities on each and every day" as he made allegations in public that the Indian Armed Forces rape women in Kashmir.

Kanhaiya Kumar was granted interim bail for six months by the high court on March 2 in the sedition case.

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JNU students Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya, arrested in the sedition case over a controversial event in the varsity's campus, are presently in judicial custody.

The High Court had on March 2 while granting bail to Mr Kumar said he will "not participate actively or passively in any activity which may be termed as anti-national".

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