Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Brinda Karat, along with Janwadi Mahila Sanghatana leader K. Neela, visited Bidar jail on Thursday and met the two women put behind bars in connection with a school play that allegedly had remarks “insulting” Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Nazbunnisa, the single mother of a 11-year-old girl who allegedly delivered the “insulting” dialogues, and Fareeda Begum, head teacher of Shaheen School where the play was staged, are facing sedition charges. The authorities of the school too are facing sedition charges.
Speaking to reporters outside the jail later, Ms. Karat termed Section 124A (Sedition) of the Indian Penal Code as a “black law” brought by the British to use against Indian freedom fighters and demanded its abolition. She alleged that the BJP governments at the Centre and the State had double standards in using such laws.
“BJP leaders are abusing, using communal language and inciting people to violence, but not even an FIR is filed. But, here a child saying some words in innocence in a play leads to the arrest of her mother and teacher. It is worse than what the British did. It is absolutely ridiculous to put them under sedition charges,” she said. “This law was brought by the British and used against Indian freedom fighters. Today, those who are defending the Constitution are being accused of being anti-nationals. [Prime Minister Narendra] Modi’s Ministers incite people to shoot and nothing is done to them. When a child in a play utters some words, her mother faces sedition charges.”
She added that both the arrested women were breadwinners of the family.
“It is a shame that neither the National Human Rights Commission nor the National Commission for Women has come to their aid,” she said.
Later, Ms. Karat visited Shaheen School and interacted with the girl who had allegedly delivered the controversial dialogue and also with the school management.
The sedition case was filed on January 26 following a complaint by Neelesh Rakshyala, an activist, based on a video clip of the play staged by schoolchildren as part of the annual day celebrations held on January 21. The play was on the theme of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the National Register of Citizens.
