JNU students' union President remanded to 3-day police custody

JNU students' union president Kanhaiya Kumar, arrested in a case of sedition and criminal conspiracy, was on Friday remanded to three-day police custody by a Delhi court.

He was arrested for holding an anti-national event inside the university premises.

Kanhaiya was produced before Metropolitan Magistrate Lovleen where the police sought his custodial interrogation for five days to ascertain the alleged links of the accused persons, including those who are allegedly absconding, with terrorist groups.

The police told the court that Kanhaiya was also required to be interrogated for the purpose of identification of other accused who were seen shouting "anti-national" slogans during the event organised in the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Campus on February 9.

The police also placed on record a CD of the event, which the judge played inside the court room on a computer.

Kanhaiya told the court that he was neither shouting any slogan nor saying anything against the integrity of the country and said he had rushed to the spot only to prevent a clash between ABVP workers and students organising the event.

He claimed in the court that this was a politically- motivated case, and he was being framed by the police as he had defeated the ABVP candidate in the presidential elections of the JNU students' union (JNUSU).

He told the court that he did not endorse the slogans against India in any manner and has full faith in the Constitution of the country.

"I dissociate myself from the slogans which were shouted in the event. I have full faith in the Constitution of the country and I always say that Kashmir is an integral part of India," Kanhaiya told the court.

After the CD was played inside the court room, the judge asked Kanhaiya about the identity of the persons who were seen shouting slogans in favour of Parliament attack case convict Afzal Guru, who was hanged after being awarded death penalty by the court, and Pakistan.

Responding to the court's query, the accused said he did not know all of them as they were outsiders, but he can identify all the students who are from JNU.

Sakshi Bharwaj, a JNU student and a member of ABVP, said "I was there during the event at campus. I was even manhandled by leftist groups. This is total abuse of our Constitution and shameful for our motherland. We want their suspension and if they think we are intolerant, then yes we are." 

ABVP's Delhi Secretary Saket Bahuguna said, "How can such activities be tolerated at an educational institution? Democracy does not mean we can abuse the Constitution which guarantees us democracy." 

"As many as 90 protesters were detained and taken to Parliament Street police station," said DCP New Delhi Jatin Narwal.

Bollywood actor Anupam Kher said, "It is Shocking. And frightening to think that few people have so much venom against their own country, (sic)."

When asked what should be done to sanitise JNU, he wrote, "Clean up."