New Delhi: Congress leader and former student activist, Kanhaiya Kumar on Tuesday was slammed by netizens after a video of his interaction went viral on social media. In the video, Kumar is seen avoiding questions about jailed student leader Umar Khalid and RJD leader Meeran Haider.
Kumar, in the video, is seen speaking to media reporters in Bihar’s Sivan when a reporter questioned him about the two activists. Kumar can be heard saying “Does Meeran Haider belong to my party?”
He then asked the reporter about Meeran Haider’s political affiliation. When the reporter says he is with Rashtriya Janata Dal, Kumar says “Then why are you asking me about him?”
Later, when the reporter questions Kumar about his “friend” Umar Khalid, Kumar replied, “Who told you so?”
Umar Khalid and Kumar, both shot their fame to national headlines during the protests at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in 2016 over the death of Dalit student Rohith Vemula.
Both were also slapped with sedition in a case in which the Delhi Police claimed that the two were a part of an event to commemorate convicted terrorist Afzal Guru where 'anti-India' slogans were allegedly raised.
Jamia student Meeran Haider was arrested and charged with sedition in December 2019 amid the protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA). He was also the head of the Delhi youth wing of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).
Another activist and former student leader Safoora Zargar also slammed Kumar and asked him to join BJP and RSS.
“Hey @kanhaiyakumar let me tell you @UmarKhalidJNU wouldn’t want to be friends with you. Plz join the BJP/RSS soon so that u don’t have to even PRETEND to be secular anymore. Would be a lot easier for you. You ll also win the seat u r so desperate for.” She wrote in her tweet.
पत्रकार : उमर खालिद आप के दोस्त हैं
— Ashraf Hussain (@AshrafFem) December 20, 2021
कन्हैया कुमार : कौन बताया…?
वीडियो: Nadeem alag Andaaz pic.twitter.com/PEeBGNqYpv
Hey @kanhaiyakumar let me tell you @UmarKhalidJNU wouldn’t want to be friends with you.
— Safoora Zargar (@SafooraZargar) December 20, 2021
Plz join the BJP/RSS soon so that u don’t have to even PRETEND to be secular anymore. Would be a lot easier for you. You ll also win the seat u r so desperate for.
— Shad Roaman (@Bihari_Ladka57) December 20, 2021
Umar khalid is not my friend says😀 #KanaiyaKumar @Human4Justice @sr_dijam @OmarHayat_Auth @SaifUlIslam_i @Dr_SQRIlyas @ShamsTabrezQ @ZakirAliTyagi
— Khalida Parveen (@kparveen2005) December 20, 2021
@Zadraan_ @alishan_jafri @AliZaidi_Adv @AsifTanhaJamia @SafooraZargar @AfreenFatima136 @MujtabaAasif @SharjeelUsmani pic.twitter.com/hyTuQVQp1L
इस अंधे को दिखा दो जो दोस्त को ही भूल गया है अपने, सायद याददास्त आ जाय इसकी pic.twitter.com/JiRjC07h5B
— आयशा राजपूत (@ahana_88) December 20, 2021
One should feel proud to call Umar Khalid his friend, for not many would stand for justice and dignity like he did and is currently doing being in jail on false charges. Umar Khalid is our leader and we are proud of him.
— Kawalpreet Kaur (@kawalpreetdu) December 20, 2021
A friend who abandons you in your tough times is no less than a backstabber. He’s worse than an upfront enemy. Kanhaiya Kumar, the selfish, opportunistic coward didn’t deserve Umar Khalid’s friendship. Good riddance for Umar. And a lesson learnt for Muslims. We are in this alone. https://t.co/xMJJzPtzCD
— Irena Akbar (@irenaakbar) December 20, 2021
Kanhaiya K disowning Umar Khalid is the saddest thing I read today
— Mahua/ মহুয়া (@mahuadey20) December 21, 2021
umar khalid is my friend i miss him and hope he’s out soon because he’s innocent and has been stitched up by amit and modi and a shameless and complicit police and judiciary @UmarKhalidJNU
— Aakar Patel (@Aakar__Patel) December 20, 2021
Kanhaiya Kumar Bhumihar has used Rohith Vemula institutional murder to make his own political career. Now he don’t know who is Umar Khalid.
— Harsh (@_ambedkarite) December 20, 2021
Shame to all those savarna journalists and activists who has supported him over the dalit and muslim leadership.
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Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Minister for Wakf & Minority Welfare B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan told the Legislative Assembly on Monday that 17,969 acres of Wakf property have been encroached upon in the state, mostly by Muslims themselves.
The minister was responding to a question by Afzalpur Congress MLA M Y Patil during the Question Hour.
"Total Wakf property across the state is 1,12,860 acres, out of which only 20,054 acres is in our hands. As many as 17,969 acres have been encroached, 47,263 acres have gone under the Inam Abolition Act and 23,627 acres have gone under the Land Reforms Act," Khan said.
He said that after the Congress government came to power and he became the department's minister, Wakf Adalats were held across the state aimed at removing encroachments.
Noting that 1,12,860 acres of Wakf land were given not by the government, but by private individuals and organisations for the welfare of the community, the minister said encroachments on Wakf property are mostly by the Muslim community itself, not by temples or other communities.
"Encroachments on Wakf land are not by others, they are done by Muslims themselves. Wakf Adalats were held to remove those encroachments, but the BJP made it an issue," he said, adding that encroachment issues are being resolved.
Leader of Opposition R Ashoka intervened and said the BJP's objections were not about removing encroachments by Muslims on Wakf land, but about farmers' land, land belonging to schools such as the one studied by Bharat Ratna Sir M Visvesvaraya, and in some cases land belonging to temples, among others, being claimed as Wakf land.
The BJP is in fact in favour of an investigation into the encroachment of Wakf properties, he said.
Responding to this, the minister clarified that the government is not laying hands on any temples or educational institutions by claiming them as Wakf property.
"To identify encroachments by private people, mostly Muslims, Wakf Adalats were held," he added.
