New Delhi. The Delhi High Court on Thursday adjourned the hearing of the appeal of activist Umar Khalid for Friday. The court said that his new documents explaining his alleged “objectionable speech” are yet to come. Khalid challenged the order of the lower court in the High Court. The court had refused to grant him bail in connection with the larger conspiracy behind the 2020 Delhi riots.
His alleged objectionable speech in Amaravati during the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act and the National Register of Citizens is the basis for the allegations against him. During the hearing on Thursday, the petitioner presented the material and case law detailing the meaning of the words ‘revolutionary’ and ‘inquilab’ used in the alleged speeches.
On Wednesday, a division bench of Justice Siddharth Mridul and Justice Rajneesh Bhatnagar had asked him whether it was appropriate to use the word ‘jumla’ against the prime minister.
During the hearing, Justice Mridul asked, “The word ‘Jumla’ is used against the Prime Minister of India. Is it fair?” To which the lawyer said that criticizing the policies of the government is not illegal.
Earlier on April 22, the bench had said that the speech made by Umar Khalid in Amravati was ‘offensive and obnoxious’. The bench asked, “Did Gandhiji ever use this language? Did Shaheed Bhagat Singh ever use such language? We have no problem in allowing freedom of expression, but what are you saying?”
—AnyTV News
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