JNU incident: Chargesheet has questions that have no answers
The incident of JNU student leaders Kanhaiya Kumar, Umar Khalid, Anirban Bhattacharya and seven others allegedly shouting anti-national slogans in the precincts of JNU campus in 2016 has again come to light with Delhi police drawing up the chargesheet against them on Monday.
Kanhaiya Kumar was the president of student union when the incident happened. Delhi police have stated they have visual, oral and documentary evidence to prove their charges. This means Delhi police is saying the visual evidence of Kanhaiya Kumar leading the sloganeering students is with the police as of now.
The chargesheet states after the permission to observe the anniversary of parliament attack mastermind Afzal Guru who was hanged eventually, was denied by the administration of the JNU, a text message was received by Umar Khalid and Kanhaiya Kumar to assemble at Sabarmati dhaba near the campus as per the charge sheet filed by Delhi police in the Patiala House Court a good three years after the incident.
But it is rather significant to note that the senior officers have said they do not possess direct documentary evidence to insinuate Kanhaiya Kumar shouting slogans, that can be termed as sedition . Though Zee news had aired the footage that showed someone shouting slogans, it was later said that this was not a genuine video. The channel now carries the reputation of having aired concocted footage to fix certain people.
Some parts of the video footages were obtained by those who were present at the venue. Officers have said some of the persons who were present when the incident occurred, had also testified to prove the charges against the accused. The court has noted the witnesses and their statements along with those of the police under relevant sections under CrPC.
Just as the Lok Sabha elections draw close, this filing of chargesheet against Kanhaiya Kumar and his friends has given rise to many doubts regarding the motive behind this act. How does a message from Khalid to Kanhaiya amount to sedition? Does the video footage possessed by the police show Kanhaiya Kumar shouting slogans against the country. Was he seen encouraging the students who were shouting anti national slogans? None of these questions can get clear answers from the Delhi police.
The chargesheet does not have clear details of calls made and received by Kanhaiya Kumar. The chargesheet does not explain where the phone was after and before the incident of shouting of anti national slogans or the subsequent clashes that broke out.
On the other hand, the police has not provided any incriminating evidence to prove Kanhaiya Kumar's role or crime in the whole incident. His name has not been recorded as the organiser of the event after the administration denied the permission to hold the event on the campus.
The police has decided to take action against Kanhaiya and his accomplices only after doctored videos by some channels were aired that showed him shouting slogans. But there has been no mention of doctored videos making rounds after the incident.
The case seems to be hanging on a lot of loose ends that may be difficult to be proven. Now despite knowing that this case may not hold water, if the police have still gone ahead and taken it to the court only to stop Kanhaiya and his friends from participating in the Lok Sabha elections, this must surely be a case of necessity of someone.
The name is pretty much know and is highly predictable by now. Narendra Modi has been rattled by the CBI and other investigating agencies.
Whatever be the case, this decision will turn to be favourable for Kanhaiya. With this, Modi has laid bare his fears and insecurities before the whole country.
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Arnab Goswami’s Homecoming? Anchor tears into Modi Government over aviation chaos
Says, govt not going to be happy with us saying this
New Delhi: In a striking turn that surprised even his regular viewers, Arnab Goswami spent the evening of December 4 taking direct aim at the central government over the ongoing crisis in the domestic aviation sector. The debate, aired on Republic, focused entirely on the severe disruption caused by IndiGo flight cancellations and the state of air travel in the country. The tone was sharp, emotional, and openly critical, raising the larger question of whether this marks a homecoming of sorts for the anchor long accused by critics of being soft on the government.
Goswami began the show by saying the central government had “completely let down” air passengers. He pointed to chaotic visuals from airports in Pune, Ahmedabad and Mumbai, describing passengers packed into crowded spaces, long queues, and travellers lying on the floor with little access to basic facilities. He said anyone travelling with children or elderly parents would understand the distress such situations cause.
According to him, the government often claims to have improved the aviation sector, but the day-to-day experience of passengers tells a different story. He argued that whatever help the government may have extended has benefited individuals and individual companies, not the sector as a whole.
Goswami highlighted data from the last three days, saying IndiGo had canceled 1,232 flights in November. He broke down the reasons for the cancellations: 755 linked to crew and FDTL constraints, 258 due to airspace and airport restrictions, 92 because of failures in air traffic control systems, 127 for other reasons.
He said passengers in India are often “taken for granted” and that only in this country can such large-scale cancellations take place without consequences.
Throughout the debate, Goswami repeatedly returned to the theme of duopoly. He said Air India and IndiGo together control 91.5 percent of the aviation market, leaving only a small share for others like Akasa and SpiceJet. This, he said, gives the two big players the power to decide prices and escape accountability.
“They can set the prices. They can torture passengers. They can be not answerable for air crashes.” He added.
Goswami also questioned why such a structure is allowed to exist if the government claims it opposes monopolies. He asked whether the government has made Air India accountable after the recent air crash, and said he did not believe so.
“We are told that the Modi government does not like monopolies. First of all, I don't agree with that. There are too many monopolies happening.” He said.
The anchor accused Air India of operating aircraft that were not airworthy and said no serious action followed. According to him, any other minister in charge of civil aviation would have been removed after such incidents, but nothing happened.
“He is not answerable. And why is the central government not bothered about it? Because he comes from the TDP, an alliance party. So let him do,” he said.
He added that Air India continues to seek government support, including compensation for losses after the Sindhur episode. Goswami questioned why public money should be used to support the airline, drawing a comparison with the earlier controversy involving Vijay Mallya seeking help from the Manmohan Singh government a move that was labelled as scam.
Goswami said passengers are suffering because of delayed flights, sudden cancellations, and lack of compensation. He criticised the DGCA, saying it was not enforcing safety and operational norms. He also questioned why the Prime Minister’s Office had not intervened.
He noted that Republic had carried multiple exposés on these issues and claimed that Air India chooses to give interviews and advertisements only to other channels.
He also called for Parliament to debate the aviation mess and examine whether monopolies or duopolies should be allowed in a nation of India’s size.
“I'm sure the government's not going to be happy with us saying this, but someone's got to speak up for the people of this country.” He added.
Known by his critics as the “Godi Media Chief”, Goswami’s direct attack on the Modi government over civil aviation raised eyebrows across media circles.
Whether this is a one-off outburst or a sign of a new editorial direction is something viewers will be watching closely.
#AviationCollapse | India’s aviation sector is in turmoil as IndiGo’s mass cancellations and Air India’s alleged safety lapses leave passengers stranded. The disruption raises serious questions about airline management, regulatory oversight, and who is ultimately responsible for… pic.twitter.com/Dqt6pcoW8w
— Republic (@republic) December 4, 2025
