Bassi justifies Kumar's arrest, no evidence of leT link so far

Justifying the arrest of JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar, Delhi Police Commissioner B S Bassi today claimed that he had raised anti-national slogans during the controversial event in the campus but said police have so far found "no evidence linking the leT" to the incident.

"Kanhaiya was present at the event, where he delivered a speech and participated in an unlawful assembly which indulged in anti-India sloganeering. It was because of his involvement, and the evidence we have collected so far, that he has been arrested under charge of sedition," Bassi told reporters here after meeting Home Minister Rajnath Singh.

Twice the commissioner said that Kanhaiya was part of the event where anti-national slogans were raised. He said the congregation, organised against the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, was anti-national and unlawful.

"Yes, he raised anti-national slogans," he said when pressed further on the issue. Bassi said that the speech he delivered at the event was highly objectionable.

When asked about alleged links between Kashmir militants and the JNU students who were suspected to be involved in the incident, Bassi said, "Kanhaiya's interrogation will be analysed for terror links and the police are looking for some other students who all went absconding after the incident but will soon be arrested."

He, however, said they have found "no evidence linking" the lashkar-e-Taiba (leT) to the JNU incident so far. "As and when it comes, it will shared with Home Ministry," he said.

The police chief added that during Kanhaiya's questioning investigators have gathered crucial information which will now be verified and processed.

On February 12, Jawaharla Nehru University's students' union President Kanhaiya Kumar was arrested in a sedition case over an event at the varsity's campus against hanging of parliament attack convict Afzal Guru.

Responding to questions about a video footage purportedly showing some students, who are allegedly of ABVP, shouting anti-India slogans in the same event, Bassi said, "As far as I am informed, ABVP students were protesting  against the conduct of the particular event. However, if anything comes up against them, they will have to face legal action too."

Caught in a controversy over the purported tweet of leT founder Hafiz Saeed that was pinned by Delhi Police in an alert over Twitter asking students not to get carried away by anti-India rhetoric, the commissioner said that a probe has been initiated into the matter.

"Don't go into whether the tweet is authentic or not. Go to the contents of the tweet. The content of the tweet was blasphemous, which could incite violence, and that is the only reason why we issued an alert.

"It is inflammatory, it incites people against lawfully establish government in India. I am surprised that people are more concerned about the (authenticity of the) tweet than its potential impact," Bassi said when asked whether the purported tweet of Saeed was genuine or fake.

"Whether Hafiz Saeed posted the tweet himself, did it go through a proxy account or whether someone else did so by using his name, is a now a matter of investigation. A probe has been initiated into it," Bassi said adding that the police are now monitoring several tweets which were made by the particular handle and other handles apparently related to that.

Yesterday, Home Minister had claimed that the JNU university event in Delhi in memory of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru had received "support" from terror outfit leT founder Hafiz Saeed, a statement that sparked a political row with opposition parties asking him to provide evidence.

Meanwhile, Delhi Police's south district have formed a special team to track down 13 other JNU students who have been identified. The police claim that all of them were involved in anti-India sloganeering.