JournalismPakistan.com | Published February 16, 2016
Join our WhatsApp channel
NEW DELHI - A row over the arrest of an Indian student on a controversial sedition charge escalated Monday, with students refusing to attend classes and violent scenes at the Delhi court where he was due to appear.
Kanhaiya Kumar was arrested on Friday for alleged seditious behaviour at a rally to mark the third anniversary of a Kashmiri separatist's execution, sparking major protests at Delhi's prestigious Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and other universities.
He was brought before a judge on Monday, but violent scuffles broke out in the courtroom where fellow students and journalists had gathered to witness his appearance.
An AFP reporter at the court said men wearing lawyers robes snatched reporters phones and notebooks and pushed them to the ground, accusing them of being "pro-Pakistan" and "anti-Indian".
Several journalists said they had been threatened and ordered to leave the court. Television footage showed unidentified men punching and shoving people outside the court building.
Kumar and other students are accused of voicing anti-India slogans at last Tuesday's largely peaceful rally at JNU, charges they deny.
His arrest has reignited a row over freedom of expression in India, where some rights campaigners say the British-era sedition law is being misused to clamp down on dissent.
Students have since staged protests at campuses around the country in support of Kumar, accusing India's Hindu nationalist government of overreacting.
JNU students said Monday they would boycott classes until Kumar was released.
Kumar has denied any wrongdoing and remains in police custody after reportedly being arraigned for two more days on Monday.
The maximum penalty for sedition is life imprisonment.
Delhi police commissioner B.S. Bassi defended the decision to arrest Kumar, saying the student had "raised anti-India slogans and that's why he has been arrested".
He played down Monday' s violence after media accused police in court of doing little to stop it, saying that "to my knowledge nobody has received any serious injuries".
The head of the ruling nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Amit Shah, said the government would not tolerate what he called "anti-national activities" at JNU, which has a long history of left-wing student activism.
"The people of our country want to know if supporting Afzal Guru means freedom of expression. Is attacking our parliament freedom of expression?" he told reporters on Monday.
"Do you care for the sentiments of the family members of our martyrs and soldiers who protect our borders?"
Separatist Mohammed Afzal Guru was hanged in 2013 over a deadly attack on the Indian parliament in 2001. - AFP (Image AP)
March 25, 2025: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has promised to name a journalism department in an educational institution after slain journalist Arshad Sharif. This follows a suggestion by analyst Ather Kazmi during an interview.
March 25, 2025: The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has condemned the arrest of Karachi journalist Farhan Mallick, founder of Raftar, demanding his immediate release. The PFUJ has also denounced the case, calling it an attack on press freedom in Pakistan.
March 24, 2025: Who will be responsible if my sons are harmed?" cries a mother in Islamabad High Court, pleading for justice after her sons' alleged abduction. The court summons the IG police over the alleged kidnapping. The family claims intelligence agencies are involved.
March 24, 2025: Explore the 10 critical reasons why Pakistan's legacy media continues to disappoint, from political bias and corporate influence to digital transition failures and unsustainable business models in Pakistani journalism.
March 22, 2025: The arrest of journalist and Raftar founder Farhan Mallick under PECA violations has sparked concerns over press freedom in Pakistan. Digital rights activists warn of increasing state suppression.
March 21, 2025: Geo Group’s security guards allegedly led an assault on protesting journalists in Islamabad, dismantling their camp and threatening them. The hypocrisy of a media giant advocating press freedom while suppressing its workers is exposed.
March 21, 2025: CPJ demands Pakistani authorities reveal the whereabouts of journalist Asif Karim Khehtran and the abducted brothers of US-based journalist Ahmad Noorani, condemning the ongoing media crackdown.
March 20, 2025: The FIA has arrested journalist and Raftar founder Farhan Mallick over his YouTube content, sparking concerns over press freedom. His family and media organizations demand transparency and his immediate release.
March 25, 2025 Turkish authorities must release detained journalists covering protests and end press crackdowns. CPJ condemns police violence and home raids targeting media workers.
March 23, 2025 The severed pig’s head sent to Indonesia’s leading news outlet, Tempo, signals escalating media intimidation amid President Prabowo Subianto’s attacks on foreign-funded media.
March 19, 2025 Apply for the NYU Stern Climate Economics Journalism Fellowship to deepen your understanding of climate economics and its impact on global finance. Applications close on April 20, 2025.
March 16, 2025 The Trump administration has ordered furloughs at U.S.-funded broadcasters, including Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Asia, raising concerns about press freedom and government control over media funding.
March 15, 2025 Explore the dynamic relationship between athletes and sports journalists, examining the challenges, ethical dilemmas, and mutual benefits that shape the sports media landscape.