New Delhi: Twitter erupted in anger over the Sunday late night arrest of activist Umar Khalid in connection with the Delhi riots.
Umar Khalid’s father brought us the news about his son being ‘implicated’.
My son Umar Khalid has been arrested tonight at 11:00 pm by Special Cell, Delhi Police under UAPA. Police was questioning him since 1:00 pm. He has been implicated in Delhi Riots. #StandWithUmarKhalid
— Ilyas SQR (@sqrIlyas1) September 13, 2020
Former IAS officer Kannan Gopinathan has strong feelings about the issue.
Umar Khalid, @UmarKhalidJNU is a brilliant, brave and a strong guy. A tall leader of India of tomorrow.
His arrest by some yes-men of @delhipolice who can't stand up to either the intellect or the spine of Umar are only doing a disservice to themselves.
— Kannan Gopinathan (@naukarshah) September 14, 2020
Many people quoted from Khalid’s speech on peace. Here is activist Gurmehar Kaur.
“We won’t respond to violence with violence. We won’t respond to hate with hate. If they spread hate, we will respond to it with love. If they thrash us with lathis, we keep holding the tricolour." –Umar Khalid #FREEUMARKHALID
— Gurmehar Kaur (@mehartweets) September 13, 2020
PDP’s Mehbooba Mufti on naming ‘criminals’ on the basis of their names.
Not crime but religion determines if one is to be jailed in India. No coincidence that Umar & Safoora are imprisoned but a Kapil & Komal are out & about https://t.co/XiXQd0VhJm
— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) September 14, 2020
Swara Bhaskar is short on words but strong in her support for him.
#StandWithUmarKhalid #FreeUmarKhalid
— Swara Bhasker (@ReallySwara) September 13, 2020
BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra is equally pithy.
वो ARREST हो गया!!
— Sambit Patra (@sambitswaraj) September 14, 2020
Ah yes, anyone can be branded a Naxal or a terrorist these days.
Terrorist Umar Khalid arrested by Delhi Police under Unlawful Activities Prevention Act for his involvement in Delhi Riots
— Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga (@TajinderBagga) September 13, 2020
Author Salman Soz pinpoints the actual problem plaguing India.
Umar Khalid is not the problem.
Here’s the problem: a failed, insecure and vindictive government in charge of a devastated economy, a growing health crisis, and a national security crisis.
And courts not protecting the right to dissent is a huge problem.#StandWithUmarKhalid
— Salman Anees Soz (@SalmanSoz) September 14, 2020
Actor Prakash Raj and activist Harsh Mander also speak out.
SHAME..if we don’t raise our VOICE against this WITCH-HUNT now.. we should be ASHAMED ..#StandWithUmarKhalid #FreeUmarKhalid #justasking pic.twitter.com/5QwSLlivb1
— Prakash Raj (@prakashraaj) September 14, 2020
#StandWithUmarKhalid
He's a youth a country should be proud of – idealistic, progressive, brave. We spoke together in anti-CAA protests: he spoke always of non-violence & Gandhi. Today he's arrested under draconian UAPA on trumped up charges of conspiracy.
Cry out, my country https://t.co/cvS7ysd5Ls— Harsh Mander (@harsh_mander) September 13, 2020
And where is Komal Sharma? Remember her?
There’s only one person the Delhi police really should arrest but hasn’t and that’s Komal Sharma. Remember her? The lady who wore a mask before Covid?
— Ajay Kamath (@ajay43) September 14, 2020
Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri had some ominous words for two pillars of democracy.
If you are a sincere citizen of India, you should be worried about slow degeneration of two very important institutions: media and judiciary.
— Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri (@vivekagnihotri) September 13, 2020
Moving on,
Senior Congress MP Shashi Tharoor offered author Chetan Bhagat a compliment that left us bamboozled – no, flabbergasted – no, mind boggled…
Sure, @chetan_bhagat! It’s clear you are not sesquipedalian nor given to rodomontade. Your ideas are unembellished with tortuous convolutions & expressed without ostentation. I appreciate the limpid perspicacity of today’s column. https://t.co/GI3mbnlion
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) September 13, 2020
Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap sure has a sense of humour — even about his own mortality….
कल यमराज के दर्शन हुए .. आज यमराज खुद घर वापस छोड़ के गए । बोले – अभी तो और फ़िल्में बनानी हैं तुम्हें । तुम फ़िल्म नहीं बनाओगे और बेवक़ूफ़/भक्त उसका boycott नहीं करेंगे , तो उनका जीवन सार्थक नहीं होगा। उनको सार्थकता मिले इसलिए वापस छोड़ गये मुझे। https://t.co/fHuZN6YQ5n
— Anurag Kashyap (@anuragkashyap72) September 14, 2020
And, in world politics…
As the US presidential elections draw near, President Donald Trump ramped up his law and order rhetoric.
If you murder a police officer, you should receive the death penalty! pic.twitter.com/07n5Rwrb4b
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 14, 2020
US-based news publication ProPublica reminded the President of `chronology’.
Mr. President, thanks for taking advantage of @ProPublica's Creative Commons policy, which lets anyone republish our content for free. However, you should note this photo is not new, but from 2016 and, per our policy, you should've credited @AlecMacGillis as photographer. https://t.co/Pw2RzN6LGX pic.twitter.com/DCyXAnuaeS
— ProPublica (@propublica) September 13, 2020
With the parliamentary session underway, Congress Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal drew a few distinctions between patriotism and public trust.
PM says :
Hope Parliament will unitedly send message that the nation stands behind our soldiers
Response :
Every citizen of our country stands behind our soldiers . We salute them .
Behind the PM’s policies and actions ?
I doubt it
— Kapil Sibal (@KapilSibal) September 14, 2020
After his tiff with the Centre over JEE exams, BJP Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy has sought a tough stand regarding Ladakh.
I hope the PM today on the floor of Parliament makes it clear that Government is committed to Status Quo Ante in Ladakh which means the Chinese troops must withdraw back to the pre-April 18th position. He must therefore correct the FMs 5 point agreement which was silent on this.
— Subramanian Swamy (@Swamy39) September 14, 2020
And lastly, US Open women’s tennis champion Naomi Osaka commemorated her win by dressing up. See it for yourself.
You already know I had to bring out the headwrap for this one ? pic.twitter.com/YAlLk01hwm
— NaomiOsaka大坂なおみ (@naomiosaka) September 13, 2020