In an apparent variance with his party’s stance over the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) row, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Shatrughan Sinha on Saturday praised the speech of its students’ union president Kanhaiya Kumar after his release from prison.
“Happy about the granting of bail [although conditional] by the honourable court to Kanhaiya & pleased that he’s been released from prison,” Mr. Sinha said in a tweet. “Hope, wish and pray that he will prove himself worthy of the support that he received from everyone who felt that he was wronged,” he said in another tweet.
Impressed with the speech
The actor-turned BJP MP later told PTI he was impressed with the student leader’s speech in the JNU after his release from Tihar jail.
“He was filled with energy and his body language was impressive as he was delivering speech at JNU after release from prison,” Mr. Sinha, the second term BJP Lok Sabha member from Patna Sahib, said.
Cites Bihari connection
He said he spoke in favour of Mr. Kanhaiya Kumar because he did not find the young man speaking anything against the country and also because he was a native of Bihar.
“Bihar is my strength and Bihar is also my weakness,” Mr. Sinha added.
Mr. Kumar, who was arrested on sedition charge on February 12 and released on March 3 on an interim bail, is a native of Begusarai district of Bihar.
He had done it earlier too
When the row over the arrested of Mr. Kanhaiya on sedition charge was at its peak, the sidelined BJP MP had defended the JNUSU president which had caused embarrassment to his own party.
Mr. Sinha also presented a book Anything but Khamoosh written on him by Mumbai-based scribe Bharti Pradhan to Bihar Governor Ramnath Kovind and invited him for its launch function at Patna tentatively in the third week of March.
“I am happy to present first copy of the book to first citizen of the State,” Sinha said on presenting book to the Governor.
Invited Nitish too
The BJP leader said he has already invited Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for the book launch event in Patna.
“I will also request acting Chief Justice of the Patna High Court Iqbal Ahmad Ansari to come for the function,” he said.
Mr. Sinha, who had earlier hinted that leaders of his own party BJP from the State might not be extended invitation for the book launch function in Patna, said: “It will be a cultural function and not a party affair.”
Lauds Phalke award to Manoj Kumar
The Bollywood actor-turned-BJP Parliamentarian hailed Narendra Modi government decision to award ‘Dada Saheb Phalke’ award to legendary actor Manoj Kumar.
“It’s a wise and timely decision to give Dada Saheb Phalke award to Manoj Kumar,” Mr. Sinha, who has worked with Mr. Manoj Kumar in the film “Kranti”, said.
