Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra took to social media on Wednesday to voice her support for jailed activist Umar Khalid, just two days after the Supreme Court denied his bail plea. Khalid, along with Sharjeel Imam, remains in custody for his alleged role in the 2020 North-east Delhi riots conspiracy.
In a post on X, Moitra shared an adapted version of Maya Angelou’s famous verses under the title, "You will rise, Umar Khalid." Her post read: "You may write me down in history with your bitter, twisted lies... You may kill me with your hatefulness, but still, like air, I'll rise." The public show of solidarity comes at a particularly heated moment, as the same court ruling granted bail to five other co-accused in the case, including Gulfisha Fatima and Meeran Haider.
The court's ruling has set off a fierce ideological struggle, especially on the campus of JNU, which is said to witness sloganeering against Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah in response to the rejection of bail. This has led to backlash from the Bharatiya Janata Party. Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis lashed out at the demonstrators, claiming that "the offspring of Sharjeel Imam were born at JNU" and vowing to crush "wicked intentions" that threaten national unity.
Echoing this sentiment, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla branded the Congress and Left parties as an "anti-India urban naxal gang," accusing them of prioritising "vote-bank politics" over the country's security. Meanwhile, Delhi Home Minister Ashish Sood described the JNU slogans as "unfortunate and condemnable," reminding the public that Imam and Khalid had previously been accused of calling for the country's disintegration— actions he explicitly labelled as treason.
Also read: 'Jail is my life now ...happy for others...' :Umar Khalid reacts
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