3 hrs ago
Karnataka Congress Chief Calls Umar Khalid Nationalist
Karnataka Congress leader B K Hariprasad said Umar Khalid is a nationalist.
Khalid is in jail and was arrested in September 2020 under India’s UAPA law.
The case concerns alleged involvement in the 2020 Delhi riots.
The argument began after ABVP opposed a documentary about Khalid at a university in Bengaluru.
Hariprasad criticized ABVP and accused it of admiring Nathuram Godse.
ABVP disagreed and said Khalid had supported events honoring Afzal Guru.
It also questioned whether Congress supports slogans about breaking India apart.
Hariprasad separately questioned the BJP’s plans for a Uniform Civil Code.
B K Hariprasad called jailed activist Umar Khalid a nationalist and criticized ABVP’s opposition to a documentary screening.
The documentary screening was planned at the National Law School of India University campus in Bengaluru.
Khalid was arrested in September 2020 and booked under the UAPA over alleged involvement in the February 2020 Delhi riots.
Hariprasad accused ABVP of admiring Nathuram Godse and lacking the moral standing to criticize Khalid.
ABVP rejected Hariprasad’s remarks, citing Khalid’s alleged support for Afzal Guru-related events and anti-India slogans.
- Who
- Karnataka Congress chief B K Hariprasad, Umar Khalid, and the RSS-affiliated student organization Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP).
- What
- Hariprasad called Khalid a nationalist after ABVP opposed a documentary screening about him; ABVP rejected the statement and criticized Congress.
- Where
- The documentary dispute concerned the National Law School of India University campus in Bengaluru, while the cited riots occurred in Delhi.
- When
- Hariprasad made the remarks on Tuesday; Khalid was arrested in September 2020.
- Why
- The dispute concerns Khalid’s political characterization, ABVP’s opposition to the documentary, and competing claims about nationalism and national security.
Congress leader’s position
ABVP’s position
Khalid’s characterization
Congress leader’s position
Hariprasad called Umar Khalid a nationalist and said ABVP had no right or moral standing to speak about him.
ABVP’s position
ABVP rejected the characterization, citing Khalid’s alleged support for events honoring Afzal Guru and his UAPA case.
Political and national-security claims
Congress leader’s position
Hariprasad accused ABVP of admiring Nathuram Godse and separately questioned the BJP’s push for a Uniform Civil Code.
ABVP’s position
ABVP questioned whether Congress supports the slogan “Bharat Tere Tukde Honge” and accused it of compromising on national security.
Key facts
- Khalid’s legal case
- He was arrested in September 2020 and booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
- 2020 Delhi riots
- The reports say the riots left 53 people dead and more than 700 injured.
- Hariprasad’s position
- He called Umar Khalid a nationalist and said ABVP had no moral standing to criticize him.
- ABVP’s response
- ABVP said Khalid allegedly supported or commemorated events honoring Afzal Guru and questioned his description as a nationalist.
- Documentary venue
- National Law School of India University in Bengaluru.
- Uniform Civil Code
- Hariprasad questioned whether the BJP had implemented it in Goa or the Northeast.
Quotes
Abhinandan Mirji
ABVP Bengaluru city president criticizing Hariprasad’s statement.
“How can the Congress party label an individual who openly supported and commemorated a convicted terrorist named Afzal Guru, the mastermind behind the violent attack on the Indian Parliament of 2001 that shed the blood of our brave security personnel – as a nationalist.”
theprint.in
“Umar Khalid is a nationalist. The ABVP has no right to speak about Khalid because the ABVP adores Nathuram Godse, who was an anti-national and a terrorist — the first terrorist of the country. They have no moral right or moral standing to speak about Khalid.”
m.rediff.com
theprint.in
Sources
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