Hyderabad: With the country reeling from the coronavirus outbreak and the lockdown that has been burdensome to migrant and labourers, the government is not only selectively targeting religious organisations but other opponents as well.
The Maulana Azad National Urdu University Student Union has condemned the Delhi Police’s arrest of Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) student leader and Rashtirya Janata Dal’s Delhi Youth Wing President, Meeran Haider. Last Wednesday, he was asked to report to the Special Cell for his alleged role in the Northeast Delhi violence.
In a press statement, MANUU-SU Presient Umar Faruq Quadri, said, “Amidst the pandemic and global lockdown, it is extremely shameful that the Delhi Police targeted Meeran due to his active participation in anti CAA-NRC protest in Jamia Millia Islamia.”
He further said that Haider was arrested when he was helping daily wage migrants who lost their livelihoods due to the lockdown.
“We, on behalf of the MANUU students demand his immediate release,” Umar Faruq Quadri stated unequivocally.
After his arrest, the Jamia Coordination Committee, a faction of JMI students and alumni immediately tweeted their condemnation stating that such accusations were unfounded. That too, since it was BJP’s Kapil Mishra who gave wind to the violence by asking police to clear anti-CAA protestors from the Jaffrabad and Chand Bagh areas back in February.
The Wire has also reported that former Jawaharlal Nehru University student Umar Khalid has been named as a prime accused in this case for which Haider is being held.
Rajya Sabha MP and RJD leader Manoj Jha also came out in in support of the party’s Delhi Youth Wing by denouncing Haider’s arrest.