‘Convict him’: Priyank Kharge dares Modi, Shah over Umar Khalid trial

• Karnataka home minister Priyank Kharge challenges PM Modi and Amit Shah to proceed with Umar Khalid's trial, questioning the prolonged delay.

• Kharge says courts, not BJP, should decide whether someone is a nationalist or anti-national, amid criticism of B.K. Hariprasad's remarks on Khalid

• He warns ABVP against what he calls 'goondaism' over opposition to a Khalid documentary screening, asks it to focus on education and KPSC recruitment issues.

Karnataka home minister Priyank Kharge on Wednesday, 16 September alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah were afraid of jailed student activist Umar Khalid and challenged them to proceed with his trial.

Kharge also criticised the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) for opposing the screening of a documentary on Khalid, saying the right-wing student organisation should instead focus on constructive issues such as education reforms.

"Who is telling (sic) Mr Umar Khalid is anti-national? Has the court said that? The BJP is saying he is anti-national. Tomorrow, the BJP will tell you that you are anti-national. Do we have to believe that?" Kharge told reporters in Bengaluru.

His remarks came in response to Karnataka Congress president B.K. Hariprasad describing Khalid as a nationalist. Hariprasad's comments have drawn criticism from the BJP and right-wing organisations.

Khalid was arrested in September 2020 in connection with the larger conspiracy case relating to the February 2020 Delhi riots. He was booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, among other provisions.

Questioning the delay in the trial, Kharge said, "Why are they (BJP government) not bringing up the trial? It's been so many years that he's been in jail; there are apparently some chargesheets against him. Why is the trial not going on? Why are they (BJP) so afraid to conduct the trial? Mr Modi and Amit Shah, why are you so afraid of Umar Khalid? Take action."

Kharge said the courts, rather than the BJP, should determine whether a person was a nationalist or anti-national. "Why are you (BJP) deciding who is an anti-national? Have they (BJP) taken up the contract of distributing certificates of national — of who is a national and who is an anti-national?" he asked.

Turning to the ABVP's opposition to the documentary screening, Kharge urged the organisation to focus on issues affecting students and young people.

"Talk about the education reforms that youngsters, the Gen Z, are talking about. Talk about the KPSC scam that your (BJP) leaders are involved in. Why are you behind Umar Khalid? He's in jail. How is he harming you? Convict him. Who's saying no? But why is ABVP indulging in all these things about which documentary to be shown, which documentary not to be shown? This kind of goondaism will not be tolerated," he said.

The KPSC recruitment controversy involves allegations of cash-for-jobs, question-paper leaks, OMR answer-sheet tampering and other irregularities in the recruitment of veterinary officers.

With PTI inputs