The Special Cell of Delhi Police has arrested a 35-year-old scholar of Jamia Milia Islamia for allegedly hatching a conspiracy to incite communal riots in North-east Delhi.
The man identified as Meeran Haider (35), a PhD student at Jamia, is also the president of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) youth wing's Delhi unit.
According to police, on Wednesday at 10 am, Haider was called for interrogation by the Special Cell at their Lodhi Colony office and was subsequently arrested.
Just after the arrest, Rajya Sabha MP and RJD leader Manoj Jha tweeted, “Delhi Police called him for investigation and then received orders from above and arrested Meeran Haider, who has been helping people during the time of coronavirus outbreak.
Chhatra RJD unit of JNU also demanded the release of Haider and said the police should become 'people-friendly' and not scare people.
Meanwhile, the Jamia Coordination Committee (JCC), a group comprising students and alumni from the University, condemned the arrest and demanded his immediate release.
“The country is facing a massive health crisis, however, the state machinery is busy harassing and framing student activists in false cases to suppress voices of dissent,” said members of JCC.
The JCC member further said that Haider was diligently working to provide ration to the needy during the lockdown. “The JCC demands that he must be immediately released as all charges against him are baseless,” they said.
In February, the northeast part of the national capital was rocked with violence which claimed at least 53 lives and over 300 injured.