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JNU campus row: Government acts tough; arrested students leader Kanhaiya Kumar cries vendetta

"We want to investigate any links Kumar may have with terror organisations related to Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan," police officials stated in their application. Police officials also wanted to interrogate Kumar about the identity of at least five others named in the FIR, and unknown accused, who were shouting anti-national slogans at an event on February 9.

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Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad members participate in a protest march at Rajpath against a group of Jawaharlal Nehru University students for shouting anti-national slogans in New Delhi on Friday
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Kanhaiya Kumar, president, Jawaharlal Nehru University Student Union (JNUSU) was arrested on charges of sedition by the Delhi police on Friday and remanded to three days police custody by a trial court judge.

Kumar was produced in Metropolitan Magistrate Loveleen's court on Friday, at Patiala House at around 4:15 pm where the police officials from Vasant Kunj North (where the case is registered) sought for five days custody.

"We want to investigate any links Kumar may have with terror organisations related to Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan," police officials stated in their application. Police officials also wanted to interrogate Kumar about the identity of at least five others named in the FIR, and unknown accused, who were shouting anti-national slogans at an event on February 9.

However, Kumar stated that his arrest has been a "political" and that he was "not even present at the time of the protest." Kumar stated that this is an attack against him because he "defeated the Akhil Bharatiya Vidhyarthi Parishad (ABVP) candidate in the student elections politically and ideologically." Kumar went on to admit that he only arrived at the spot of the ruckus only when two unions got into clashes and as the president it was his "duty to look out for the safety of the students."

Upon hearing this admission, the Judge ordered the police officials to produce any photos or video clips to support their claim of Kumar's involvement. The officials then produced a CD of an almost 20-minute news clip of the event in question recorded by Zee News. The clip, which was seen by the judge in the courtroom, left the officials red-faced as Kumar's claim was validated. Kumar was seen in the video clip towards the end where he was shown attempting to separate warring students. "Sir, I admit, I was there but only to ensure the safety of the students when the clashes began," Kumar pleaded to the judge.

While the CD was being played on the Judge's computer, Kumar helped in identifying the students he knew on screen. Kumar said, "The student population of JNU is almost 8,000 and I can identify almost all of them by face.

However, it is impossible to definitely identify outsiders who were there."

Condemning the police action, JNU released a strongly worded statement saying they were "shocked to hear" about Kumar's arrest. They went on to state that Kumar's political intentions were well known and to accuse him of sedition was "beyond the grounds of credibility." The statement read, "The only previous occasion when the President of the JNUSU had been arrested was during the Emergency of 1975-77, and the present situation on the campus brings back memories of the Emergency days."

The police have charged Kumar and five others in the First Information Report (FIR) under sections 34, 120B, 124A of the Indian Penal Code. Kumar will be produced in court on February 15.

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