Victory procession
THE STUDENT LEADER’S FAMILY WANTS HIM TO VISIT THEM, PLAN A HEROES WELCOME
BIHAT (BEGUSARAI): The family members of JNU student union president Kanhaiya Kumar have demanded security for him, as he walked out of Tihar jail in New Delhi on Thursday.
The Delhi high court had on Wednesday granted Kanhaiya interim bail for six months after he was arrested on sedition charges February 12.
Expressing concer n over Kanhaiya’s security, his father, Jai Shankar Singh ( 61) told HT, “My son survived a murderous attack on the Patiala house court premises. There was a lawyer saying on TV that they had planned to hurl petrol bombs. It was a clear conspiracy to kill my son.”
The police have not arrested the culprits, despite my son identifying his attackers, he said. “This shows the government in poor light. It should now provide him security after his release from jail.”
Kanhaiya’s younger brother, Prince Kumar (28), said: “My uncle Rajendra Singh and elder brother Manikant, who are in Delhi, will try and meet the Union home minister and demand security for Kanhaiya. Alternatively, they will move court.”
Meanwhile, Kanhaiya’s sympathisers continued to pour into his ancestral house, 125 kms east of Patna. Not just neighbours, people from adjoining villages of Baghrapur, Lurpur, Khaprail and Barauni, walked in with cong ratulatory messa g es. What began as a trickle after the news of Kanhaiya’s release broke out at 7pm on Wednesday, turned into a steady stream of people on Thursday.
“We had around 150 people, some who we remotely knew, visiting our house in the morning,” said Prince.
Secretary of the Barauni unit of the All India Students Federation, Saket Kumar (19), who is Kanhaiya’s nephew, said, “We have planned a victory procession to coincide with my uncle’s release from Tihar jail.”
The family wants Kanhaiya to visit his village after his release. “We want him to come and meet his parents to seek their blessings,” said younger brother Prince.
Kanhaiya’s new found stardom may, however, delay his home-coming.
“We know he first has to be with his supporters on the JNU campus. Only after he is done with them can we expect him to come here. We will try to get him as soon as possible and give a heroes’ welcome,” he added.