Don’t Try to Earn Political Mileage From Kanhaiya Case: Sena to BJP

Sena in an editorial in party mouthpiece ’Saamana’ said BJP should not benifit from Kanhaiya’s sedition case.

Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray promised permanent resolution to agricultural drought during Marathwada rally. 

(Photo: PTI)

Mumbai, Jan 16 (PTI) The Shiv Sena Wednesday said theBJP has no moral right to criticise student leader KanhaiyaKumar, who has been charged with sedition, after teaming upwith the PDP in Jammu and Kashmir.

The Sena also asked the ruling BJP to refrain from taking political mileage from the sedition case against Kumar,a former president of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU)Students' Union.

The BJP committed a "sin" by aligning with People'sDemocratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti, it said, claimingthat she considered Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru as amartyr.

The BJP was part of the PDP-led government in Jammuand Kashmir but pulled out of the coalition last year.

The Delhi Police had on Monday filed a charge sheet ina court against Kanhaiya Kumar and others, saying he wasleading a procession and supported seditious slogans raised onthe JNU campus in February 2016.

"The BJP committed the biggest sin of aligning with Mehbooba Mufti, who considers Afzal Guru a freedom fighter and a martyr. Now the BJP, for its own benefit, should not try and take political mileage out of the sedition case filed against Kanhaiya," the Sena said in an editorial in party mouthpiece'Saamana'.

A terrorist like Ajmal Kasab, convicted in the 2008Mumbai terror attack case, was given a chance by court todefend himself, it said, and expressed hope that Kumar wouldalso be given a chance to present his case.

If the allegations against him are not true, they willnot stand in court, said the Uddhav Thackeray-led party, whichis an ally of the BJP at the Centre and in Maharashtra.

"Kanhaiya Kumar speaks well. Since he represents theharried and unemployed youth, he cannot give slogans hailingAfzal Guru or independence for Kashmir. Anyway, what moralright does the BJP have to condemn Kanhaiya Kumar?" it asked.

The Sena wondered if the Akhil Bharatiya VidyarthiParishad (ABVP), the student wing of the RSS, was unable towin elections in JNU as voting there was not held through theelectronic voting machines (EVMs).

"Maharashtra BJP minister Girish Mahajan recentlyclaimed he will show his 'magic' wherever he is sent and makesure his party wins polls. We request the BJP to send him toJNU to defeat the anti-nationals there. But tell him thatelections in JNU are not held through EVMs," it said insarcastic remarks.