While Jamia shooter ‘Rambhakt’ Gopal Sharma is roaming around advocating violence, peaceful protestors like Umar are in jail
Team Clarion
NEW DELHI – On the completion of 300 days of his incarceration, a Twitter campaign was launched on Saturday demanding the release of prominent student activist Umar Khalid under the hashtag #UmarKoRihaKaro.
Umar was arrested by the Delhi Police last year in connection with Delhi Riots and booked under stringent anti-terror law UAPA or Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. However, family members and prominent activists and leaders say that Umar is being punished for raising voice against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and other anti-people policies of the Narendra Modi government. They have been holding campaigns and webinars demanding his release.
On Saturday’s Twitter campaign, prominent personalities such Bollywood actress Richa Chadda, Gujarat MLA Jignesh Melvani and RJ Sayema raised their voice for his release.
Richa asked is Umar being projected as dangerous because he talks about unity and peace.
Is @UmarKhalidJNU dangerous because he speaks of peace , unity and togetherness ? #UmarKoRihaKaro ❣️
— TheRichaChadha (@RichaChadha) July 10, 2021
Sayema said that while Jamia shooter Rambhakt Gopal Sharma is not being jailed even though he calls for violence against Muslims, Umar and other activists have been incarcerated even though they did not break any law.
UAPA is not a law! It’s a trap. Terrorists like #ramgopalvarma can roam around spreading terror proudly but people who have NOT broken any law of the land are behind bars! Sharjeel Imam, Khalid Saifi, Sudha Bhardwaj, Umar Khalid and others need to be released!! #UmarKoRihaKaro
— Sayema (@_sayema) July 10, 2021
Sayema said that while Jamia shooter Rambhakt Gopal Sharma is not being jailed even though he calls for violence against Muslims, Umar and other activists have been incarcerated even though they did not break any law.
UAPA is not a law! It’s a trap. Terrorists like #ramgopalvarma can roam around spreading terror proudly but people who have NOT broken any law of the land are behind bars! Sharjeel Imam, Khalid Saifi, Sudha Bhardwaj, Umar Khalid and others need to be released!! #UmarKoRihaKaro
— Sayema (@_sayema) July 10, 2021
Another prominent Twitter user Hussain Haidry also pointed out the double standards in treatment of Umar and Sharma.
Rambhakt Gopal roams around free after shooting at Jamia students, open calls for genocide, posting photo of injured in name of Gau Raksha.
Umar Khalid is in prison for invoking the Indian constitution.
This is a metaphor for legal (un)fairness in this country.#UmarKoRihaKaro
— Hussain Haidry (@hussainhaidry) July 10, 2021
Umar Khalid’s father Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas shared a picture of Umar’s childhood and said they have stolen 300 days from Khalid.
Minute by minute, hour by hour, they have stole 300 days from Umar. Every time we remember Umar, every time we speak of his dreams. Let’s reclaim a day. Storm the Twitter with *#UmarKoRihaKaro*
*10 July, 5 pm onwards* pic.twitter.com/ZP7bXnPtv9
— Ilyas SQR (@Dr_SQRIlyas) July 10, 2021
Apart from them, there were a large number of people who tweeted in support of Umar demanding his release.
In this photo giggling and being silly with me and the lovely @Shehla_Rashid is a brilliant young scholar, activist, wonderfully humorous, full of life Umar Khalid.
Today marks 300 days of incarceration of Umar Khalid under the draconian UAPA.#UmarKoRihaKaro pic.twitter.com/4YGPss9qSm
— Gurmehar Kaur (@mehartweets) July 10, 2021
If in the words of Delhi High Court, state is blurring the line between the right to protest and act of terror, why do you think they won’t come for you?#UmarKoRihaKaro pic.twitter.com/GAO5bDkN0A
— Kaushik Raj (@kaushikrj6) July 10, 2021