Lawyer Vrinda Grover, who filed the plea on behalf of Kanhaiya Kumar, said in the petition that since the atmosphere in the Patiala House court complex was not conducive for moving the plea application, Kanhaiya Kumar was invoking his right under Article 32 to move the Supreme court directly for bail.
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He said when he was produced at Patiala House on February 15 and 17, incidents of violence took place at the court premises, carried out by members of the legal fraternity, in which journalists, students and senior faculty members of JNU were physically assaulted.
Protesters swelled by the hour in the march, led by the JNUSU (Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union), that began from the Mandi House circle around 2 PM and ended at Jantar Mantar, bringing traffic to a standstill in the heart of the capital. Others wore T-shirts saying “My Friend, Kanhaiya”. Students with roses in their hands said, “We are taking out a silent march with roses in our hands”. “I am marching to save the university culture that encourages you to raise hard questions about nationhood, discrimination and injustice. We want universities where we can freely discuss everything”.
Lawyers chanting nationalist slogans earlier barged into the compound and threw stones at reporters, defying a Supreme Court order banning protests after a punch-up at a hearing on Monday. The lawyers had also assaulted several journalists at the court this week.
The protests have triggered allegations that the Modi government and the BJP are cracking down on political dissent in the name of patriotism.
“We strongly oppose the idea that one’s nationalism be defined in terms of hatred towards another nation”, says students’ statement”.
“The constitution is clear that freedom of speech does not extend to the right to promote secession; slogans that demand the disintegration of India can not be condoned”, said M.J. Akbar, a BJP spokesman. At least two online petitions are calling for an end to public funding of JNU.
The CPI leader also extended his support to the JNU and the students of the varsity.
Police are still searching for those students, who have not been named. “The police need to investigate both the attacks and their own inaction, and hold those responsible to account”.
Kumar has further submitted that that the environment at the Patiala House Courts complex is not conducive even “for a hearing, much less for a fair trial”.
Kumar, who has been booked under sedition charge in connection with an event in JNU where anti-national slogans were allegedly raised last week, has been arrested by Delhi Police. Daily debates on nationalism are being conducted by protesting professors in open classrooms on the JNU campus this week.
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The university at the centre of the storm, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), was among those directed to “fly the tricolour on a high mast”, said an official at the human resource development ministry, which includes education.
