In JNU sedition case hearing, the Patiala House Court, on Wednesday, rebuked the Delhi government for withholding sedition sanction. The Court also asked Delhi Police to get Delhi government led by Arvind Kejriwal to expeditiously provide sanction for JNU case chargesheet adding that the ‘govt can’t stop the file’. The next hearing on the matter would be held on February 28.
As the hearing commenced, the Investigating officer said, “We have not got sanction from Delhi government as of now. we are waiting. We will get it.” The police had registered chargesheet in the 2016 JNU Tukde Tukde row against Kanhaiya Kumar, Umar Khalid, and eight others as main accused, on January 14.
For more details: New footage of ‘Tukde-Tukde Gang’ substantiates the allegation of seditious slogans
When the chargesheet was presented before the court, it rejected it and asked the police to get the chargesheet sanctioned by the Delhi government. Since the Kejriwal government has been employing delaying tactics and has been sitting on the file for so long, finally the court lost patience and chastised the government for its conduct.
The Kejriwal government claimed that no files related to the JNU sedition case had been presented before any Delhi minister, while the police maintained that they had applied for the sanction on January 14.
However, according to official records, the file was received by the Home Department of Delhi. The file related to JNU sedition case was first sent to the Additional Secretary (Home) and then to Principal Secretary (Home) on January 14. On January 21, the file moved to the Additional Secretary (Home), and then it reached to the Principal Secretary (Home). The file is being sent from one office to another for no clear reasons. It’s a vicious circle and only seems like a delaying tactic and nothing else.
The Hindustan Times quoted a Delhi government official saying, “It took police three years to file the charge sheet. How can they expect the government to read and approve the file in a week? Things don’t work this way. One has to understand the case and the listed evidence. The minister neither approved the prosecution sanction nor denied it.”
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is indulged in a dirty political game. According to a India TV report, Kejriwal said in a tweet, ” I do not know whether Kanhaiya has committed sedition or not, it is being examined by the Law Department.” He also targeted PM Modi and the Centre. Kejriwal in a Hindi tweet said, “On the other hand, Modi ji has stalled (works on) schools for children, hospitals, installation of CCTV cameras, setting up of mohalla clinics in Delhi – is this not sedition?”
The Delhi Police had gone into great detail in the case and filed a 1,200-page chargesheet after three years of hard work. It had listed documentary, oral and electronic evidence in the chargesheet. The statements from students, security guards, and others had been recorded by the police. However, it seems like the Delhi government is hell-bent upon destroying the hard work of the Delhi Police just for their cheap political gains.