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Kanhaiya Kumar: 'Sedition' student returns to JNU with fiery speech | Kanhaiya Kumar: 'Sedition' student returns to JNU with fiery speech |
(35 minutes later) | |
A student leader from a top university charged with "sedition" returned to his campus on Thursday, and made a fiery speech that has gone viral in India. | A student leader from a top university charged with "sedition" returned to his campus on Thursday, and made a fiery speech that has gone viral in India. |
Kanhaiya Kumar was arrested last month after a rally against the execution of a Kashmiri separatist convicted over the 2001 Indian parliament attack. | Kanhaiya Kumar was arrested last month after a rally against the execution of a Kashmiri separatist convicted over the 2001 Indian parliament attack. |
He was released from jail on Thursday after being granted bail. | He was released from jail on Thursday after being granted bail. |
Mr Kumar's views have been divisive in India with some calling him "anti-nationalist". | Mr Kumar's views have been divisive in India with some calling him "anti-nationalist". |
The authorities allege Mr Kumar and others shouted anti-India slogans at the 9 February rally that took place at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). Two other students remain in custody. | |
On Thursday, Mr Kumar returned to JNU and said in his speech that he wanted freedom "in" and not "from" India. | |
Media reports said that close to 3,000 students turned up to hear him speak. | Media reports said that close to 3,000 students turned up to hear him speak. |
Mr Kumar took on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Indian government, saying that the backlash against him was to distract the people from its failings in other areas. | Mr Kumar took on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Indian government, saying that the backlash against him was to distract the people from its failings in other areas. |
He vowed to continue the "fight" against the "oppressive" policies of the government, saying that the more students were suppressed, the more they would stand up. | He vowed to continue the "fight" against the "oppressive" policies of the government, saying that the more students were suppressed, the more they would stand up. |
The government has not yet commented on the speech, which has sparked a huge reaction online. | The government has not yet commented on the speech, which has sparked a huge reaction online. |
#KanhaiyaKumar was trending on Facebook India, Twitter India and Twitter global trends on Thursday night, as television channels beamed his speech live. | #KanhaiyaKumar was trending on Facebook India, Twitter India and Twitter global trends on Thursday night, as television channels beamed his speech live. |
On Friday morning, the hashtag #Azaadi (freedom) was also trending in the country, though sentiments remained sharply divided. | On Friday morning, the hashtag #Azaadi (freedom) was also trending in the country, though sentiments remained sharply divided. |
YouTube links to his speech are also being widely circulated on social media. | YouTube links to his speech are also being widely circulated on social media. |
Critics condemned the charges against the students as an assault on freedom of expression, but government ministers have refused to back down, vowing to punish what they describe as "anti-national elements". | |
The 9 February rally that prompted the arrests was to mark the third anniversary of the 2013 hanging of Mohammed Afzal Guru. | |
Guru was one of those convicted of plotting the 2001 parliament attack - charges he always denied. The attack, which left 14 people dead, was blamed on Pakistan-based militants fighting Indian rule in Kashmir. | |
Indian opposition parties see the affair as an attempt by the BJP to push its Hindu nationalist agenda, correspondents say. | |
There have also been counter protests by those who say JNU is a hotbed of "traitors" and should be "cleaned up". |
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