After the Supreme Court refused to grant bail to Umar Khalid, Congress leader and Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge on Monday took a dig at the country’s judicial system, alleging that in “developed India” rapists are granted bail but not those who raise their voice.
In a post on X, Priyank Kharge informed that Kuldeep Singh Sengar, Asaram Bapu, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh and Brij Bhushan Sharam Singh have got bail. Separate rape cases are registered against all of them.
On the contrary, Priyank Kharge said that the bail pleas of Umar Khalid, Sonam Wangchuk, Sagar Ghorke and Ramesh Ghaichor have been rejected. He believes that all of them are in jail for raising their voice against the government.
However, after the two were denied bail, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala took a dig at the Congress.
He said, “Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam were not only getting sympathy from the Congress and its supporters, but letters were also coming from foreign countries. Along with the rejection of the bail plea, the Supreme Court has also said that the crimes committed, including terrorism and burning of Delhi, prima facie appear to be legal.”
Another party spokesperson, Pradeep Bhandari, claimed that the court’s decision was a slap on the face of Congress and Lok Sabha opposition leader Rahul Gandhi.
He said, “The bail plea of Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam, the anti-national Tukde Tukde brigade supported by the Muslim League Maoist Congress, has been rejected. The Supreme Court has said – ‘All the accused cannot be treated equally qualitatively.’ This is a big slap on the face of Rahul Gandhi and the Congress Party, who had supported this ‘tukde-tukde lobby’.”
The incident comes after the Supreme Court on Monday refused to grant bail to Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in a case related to a larger conspiracy allegedly hatched behind the 2020 north-east Delhi riots.
However, the Supreme Court granted bail to Gulfisha Fatima, Meeran Haider, Shifa Ur Rehman, Mohammad Salim Khan, and Shadab Ahmed.
The Court said that Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam are in a “qualitatively different situation” both in terms of prosecution and evidence.
It said his role in the alleged crimes was “central”. With regard to both, although the period of imprisonment is continuous and long, it does not violate the constitutional mandate nor the statutory restrictions under the laws.
Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam and others were arrested in January 2020 under stringent provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in connection with the February 2020 Delhi riots.
Violence had erupted during protests against the then-proposed Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC), leaving 53 people dead and over 700 injured.
