‘Sedition Law Being Misused, Want Speedy Trial,’ Says Kanhaiya Kumar On Prosecution Order

His statement comes hours after the Delhi government on Friday granted sanction to the Delhi Police to prosecute him and others in the 2016 sedition case.

Kanhaiya Kumar (Source: PTI)

New Delhi: Former JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar who is an accused in the 2016 sedition case has said that he wants a speedy trial in a fast tract court and alleged that the sedition law is being misused by those in power. His statement comes hours after the Delhi government on Friday granted sanction to the Delhi Police to prosecute him and others in the 2016 sedition case. He alleged that the chargesheet was filed deliberately against him at a time when he was about to contest election in Bihar. "The chargesheet was filed for the first time when I was about to contest the election and now elections are going to be held in Bihar again. There is National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government in Bihar and the state government has passed a resolution in the Assembly against National Register of Citizens (NRC) and National Population Register (NPR)," said Kumar at a press conference. "It is clear that this matter was created and delayed for political benefit. I want a speedy trial in a fast-track court so that the entire country gets to know how a law like sedition is being misused," he said. The Delhi Police Special Cell on February 19 wrote to the Delhi Home Secretary requesting to "expedite" the process of grant of sanction in the JNU sedition case involving former JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar. Also Watch | JNU sedition case: Kanhaiya Kumar demands speedy trial In a letter written by Deputy Commissioner of Police, Special Cell, Pramod Singh Kushwaha to the Deputy Secretary, Home, he said, "It is therefore requested to expedite the process to accord prosecution sanction under Section 196 CrPC as required for offence under Chapter VI of the IPC i.e. Section 124A IPC." A Delhi court had asked the Delhi government to file a status report relating to the issue of pendency of sanction in the JNU sedition case to prosecute student leader Kanhaiya Kumar and others. In the chargesheet filed in the court in January this year, the Delhi Police had said that Kanhaiya Kumar and others, including Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya, led a procession and raised anti-national slogans at an event in the university campus on February 9, 2016. It said that there were video footages wherein Kanhaiya Kumar is "seen" leading the students who were raising "anti-national slogans" and that he had been identified by the witnesses in the videos.