JNU row: Kanhaiya Kumar to lead push for Umar and Anirban's release from custody

New Delhi: JNU students union president Kanhaiya Kumar will lead the movement demanding release of two other varsity students who are still in judicial custody in a sedition case.

"Though I have got bail in the case despite both the government and police trying their best to delay it as far as they can but our fight is not over yet. Umar and Anirban are yet to be released. I will now lead the ongoing student movement," Kanhaiya said.

Soni Sori (l) with Kanhaiya Kumar. Tarique Anwar/Firstpost

Kanhaiya was released from Tihar Jail last week after the Delhi High Court granted him bail.

"Though our primary focus is to get them released but one thing I am sure of is if I adopt this ideology of raising our voice these trips to prison will become a frequent thing," he added.

Jawaharlal Nehru University is caught in a row over an event on the campus to commemorate the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, where "anti-national" slogans were allegedly raised.

While Kanhaiya spent 18 days in jail, two other students -- Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya are also in judicial custody in a sedition case over the event.

The JNU Students Union led by Kanhaiya has called a council meeting on Monday to discuss the "onslaught on JNU" and finalise their future course of action.

In Kanhaiya's absence, JNUSU Vice President Shehla Rashid Shora had led the student agitation.

The JNUSU president was arrested in connection with the February 9 event. Five other students -- Umar Khalid, Anirban Bhattacharya, Rama Naga, Anant Prakash and Ashutosh Kumar -- had gone in hiding since then but resurfaced on the campus 10 days later.

While Umar and Anirban surrendered before the police, the remaining three refused to do so but maintained that they are open to questioning by police as and when needed.

PTI