Slapped with sedition charge, JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar on Wednesday said he is an Indian who has full faith in judiciary and the Constitution, a statement the police latched on to say that it will not oppose his bail.
“I have said earlier too. I am an Indian. I have full faith in the Constitution as well as the judiciary of the country,” Mr. Kumar told metropolitan magistrate Lovleen when he was produced for remand proceedings.
“The media trial against me is painful. If there is evidence against me that I am a traitor, then you please send me to jail. But if there no evidence against me, there should be no media trial,” he said in a statement at the start of the proceedings.
Mr. Kumar, who has been booked for sedition in connection with an event in JNU where anti-national slogans were allegedly raised last week, has been arrested by Delhi Police. He has been remanded to judicial custody till March 2, 2016.
Reacting to the statement, Delhi Police Commissioner B.S. Bassi said if Mr. Kumar applies for bail, then police will not object to it.
“I personally feel, a young person... perhaps be given bail,” he told reporters.
Mr. Kumar told the committee of lawyers sent by the Supreme Court to asses the situation in Patiala House Courts complex that he was treated well by the police.
“I have no complaints against the police. When I was brought to the court, a mob attacked me. Police was escorting me to the court room and they tried their best to save me from the mob. But still, I was beaten up. Even some of the police officials were assaulted,” he said.
The magistrate immediately ordered medical examination of Mr. Kumar by a team of doctors inside the court.
The magistrate ordered the DCP (Security) present in the court to ensure that there is no attack on him. He also directed the Superintendent of Tihar Jail to ensure security of Mr. Kumar.
Mr. Bassi said there is adequate evidence against Mr. Kumar in the sedition case. “As far as merits of the case, we will present them in the court.”
He said before he left for the court, Mr. Kumar had issued a statement in which he had said he has faith in the Constitution of India and had referred to the objectionable anti-national slogans.
The objective of the statement, the Commissioner said, was to tell the other JNU students not to indulge in such activities and that it was not the right path.
“I have told the government counsel to tell the Supreme Court that Kanhaiya before appearing in the Patiala House Court has made the appeal. DCP (South) is releasing the statement on twitter for wider reach,” said Mr. Bassi.
But in view of his appeal to his brethren in JNU not to indulge in anti-national activities and his expression of faith in Constitution and judiciary, he said they would not oppose his bail if he applied for it.
Asked whether he was giving a clean chit to Mr. Kumar, Mr. Bassi said, “I am not giving a clean chit.”
