BJP Yuva Morcha protested against Umar Khalid's visit to Kolkata

KOLKATA: JNU student Umar Khalid, facing sedition charge, today spoke in a panel discussion in the city. The programme was organised by a group called, Bastar Solidarity Network ( Kolkata Chapter). Protesting against Khalid’s visit to the city, a group called Hindu Sanhati staged demonstration at Bowbazzar area in central Kolkata. Later, a group of BJP Yuva Morcha members joined the protest. However, police escorted Khalid inside the hall where he was scheduled to speak and arrested some of the protesters including some senior leaders of BJP Yuva Morcha.

“In last few years, a war has been declared against tribal people in Bastar and in several regions in the country. The new government added more fire-power to it increasing heavy deployment of security forces. The war is against the people of this country. We have recently witnessed a serious case of police –repression in our university. And the repercussion was felt all over the country. Now, whoever tries to speak for democracy, his or her voice is silenced. . There is an undeclared emergency everywhere in the country,” said Khalid.

Explaining the situation in Bastar, he added, “It is a Sri Lanka like situation. The way Sri Lankan government mobilized forces against its own people there, government of India is doing similar thing in Chhattisgarh to eliminate Naxals there”

Khalid arrived here on Friday and he stayed in a professor’s residence in Salt lake area.A group of RSS members yesterday planned to organise a protest programme in front of the professor’s residence, though later the demonstration was cancelled by the senior leaders. “We were told by the police that Khalid has been granted permission by the court to travel to Kolkata. We are law abiding people and we respect court order. So, we dropped our plan,” said a senior functionary of RSS.