National

Is โ€˜Jumlaโ€™ A Proper Word To Use Against Prime Minister? Questions Delhi HC On Umar Khalidโ€™s Speech

Umar Khalid

New Delhi: During the hearing of JNU scholar-activist Umar Khalidโ€™s appeal in the broader conspiracy case involving the Delhi riots, the Delhi High Court asked whether it was proper to use the word โ€œJumlaโ€ against the Prime Minister.

During the hearing, a division bench comprising of Justices Siddharth Mridul and Rajnish Bhatnagar took note of a video clip of Khalidโ€™s allegedly objectionable speech uttered in Amravati in February 2021.

Trideep Pais, Khalidโ€™s lawyer, contended before the court that the strong comments spoken against the government could not be considered an infraction under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

During the hearing, Justice Mridul posed the following question: โ€œThe term jumla is used to refer to Indiaโ€™s Prime Minister. Is it appropriate? โ€œ, at which the lawyer stated that criticising the governmentโ€™s policy is not criminal.

The panel had previously stated on April 22 that Umar Khalidโ€™s remarks in Amravati was โ€œoffensive and unpleasant.โ€ โ€œIs it true that Gandhiji used this language? Is it true that Shaheed Bhagat Singh ever used such language? We have no reservations about allowing free expression, but what exactly are you saying? โ€œThe bench had enquired.

Last month, Khalid was denied bail by Additional Sessions Judge Amitabh Rawat, who stated that there were reasonable grounds to believe that the charges against him were prima facie true.

While the rallies against the Citizenship Amendment Act were secular, Senior Advocate Trideep Pais stated that the charge sheet filed by the Delhi Police is communal. While the prosecution insisted that chakka jam constituted a terror act, he argued that it is not an infraction and that it has been utilised by students and others throughout past agitations.

He went on to say that the chargesheet and FIR 59/2020 both exhibited a pattern of โ€˜false implicationโ€™ in the testimony of โ€˜made up witnesses.โ€™He said that one of the witness statements, taken three days before Umar Khalidโ€™s arrest, was fabricated to โ€œfit the arrest.โ€

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Kiccha Sudeep Says โ€˜Hindi No More A National Languageโ€™, Ajay Devgn Responds

Tejas Joshi

South Indian cinema has been growing remarkably in its reach and box-office collections in the recent years. Itโ€™s so much so that people have started wondering if the South industry could take over Bollywood in near future. On the lines of similar global success of film KGF, actor Kiccha Sudeep made comments that have sparked the old debate on whether Hindi would be termed as the national language or not.

Sudeep, speaking on the massive success of KGF chapter 2, said: โ€œYou said that a pan India film was made in Kannada. Iโ€™d like to make a small correction. Hindi is no more a national language.โ€

 โ€œThey (Bollywood) are doing pan-India films today. They are struggling (to find success) by dubbing in Telugu and Tamil, but itโ€™s not happening. Today we are making films that are going everywhere,โ€ the Makkhi actor added. 

The actorโ€™s statement garnered mix response, with many attacking the actor for downplaying the importance of Hindi language. One of the prominent voices among those who contradicted Sudeep was Bollywood superstar Ajay Devgn. 

Ajay Devgn, taking to Twitter, wrote in Hindi: โ€œMy brother, according to you if Hindi is not our national language, then why do you release your mother tongue movies by dubbing them in Hindi? Hindi was, is and always will be our mother tongue and national language. Jan Gan Man.โ€ 

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