Bengaluru: The Congress party in Karnataka Tuesday described jailed activist Umar Khalid as a ‘nationalist’ and referred to his detractors as those with no morals and ethics, jumping right into the centre of a raging debate within the larger student community.
“Umar Khalid is a nationalist, and ABVP (Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarathi Parishad) has no right to speak on Umar Khalid because ABVP adores Nathuram Godse—who was an anti-national and the first terrorist of the country. They have no moral right or moral ethics to speak on Umar Khalid,” B. K. Hariprasad, president of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) told reporters Tuesday in Bengaluru.
The state Congress chief’s statements come even as the ABVP, the student arm of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), has pressured on the National Law School of India University (NLSUI) to deny permission to screen a documentary on the former student leader and activist.
Hariprasad, Priyank Kharge, Santosh Lad and several others within the Congress have intensified attacks on the RSS and its affiliates, fuelling the conflict.
The D. K. Shivakumar-led Cabinet has also passed the Karnataka Regulation of Use of Government Premises and Public Property Bill, 2026, which, it is alleged, seeks to regulate use of public space by the RSS.
Priyank Kharge, Karnataka’s Minister for Home Affairs, has also repeatedly gone after the RSS, demanding that the entity first register itself and disclose its funding before giving out certificates of patriotism to others.
Hariprasad’s comments on Umar Khalid add to the Congress’ outreach to Gen Z and youngsters in the state with initiatives like restarting college elections and commencing Bharat Jodo youth associations in the hope of gaining a foothold within the student community which is broadly divided between the ABVP and left-leaning outfits.
Umar Khalid has been in jail since 13 September 2020, and remains imprisoned without a trial. He was arrested under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for his alleged role in the 2020 Delhi violence during protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC), which had left 53 people dead and over 700 injured.
Hariprasad’s statements fan the already simmering tensions in Bengaluru between the ABVP and activist groups.
On Monday, the ABVP shot off letters to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi, and Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Law and Justice, Arjun Ram Meghwal, demanding “central intervention” to enforce a complete, permanent cancellation of the event and order a high-level enquiry against the NLSIU administration, ThePrint reported.
The ABVP said that educational institutions cannot serve as a “platform for political propaganda” and demanded the NSLUI order the “immediate & absolute cancellation” of the documentary screening instead of just postponing it.
The NLSUI had originally scheduled the screening for 7 pm on 14 September at its premises.
On Sunday, NLSUI released a statement informing the staff and others about its decision to postpone the screening due to “logistical and security concerns”.
The institute added that it was working to hold the event with adequate security and with the well-being of the larger student population.
“We are making it clear that we are not backing out of the event because of pressure from anyone. The postponement is a precautionary step taken to ensure that the screening can be held in a safe and responsible manner,” according to the statement by NSLUI.
(Edited by Viny Mishra)
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