ISLAMABAD: BJP leaders in Karnataka have asked Bengaluru police to cancel a book discussion on jailed Muslim activist Umar Khalid, intensifying concerns over the shrinking space for dissent and minority voices in India, The Indian Express reported.
The event, scheduled at Bangalore International Centre, is based on 'Umar Khalid and His World' and is expected to feature readings and discussion by public intellectuals including Ramachandra Guha, Janaki Nair and Prakash Raj.
A BJP delegation led by Bengaluru Central MP P.C. Mohan met Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh and submitted a memorandum demanding that permission for the programme be withdrawn, the Deccan Chronicle reported.
The party objected to the event on the grounds that Khalid, a former JNU student leader, is facing charges under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act in connection with the 2020 Northeast Delhi riots case.
Khalid has been in jail since September 2020, despite not having been convicted. His prolonged incarceration has repeatedly been cited by rights groups and civil society voices as an example of India’s harsh treatment of Muslim activists and government critics.
BJP leaders accused Khalid of being “anti-national” and questioned why an event should be held around a person who remains in jail, according to The New Indian Express.
The party also claimed that the event could create a law-and-order problem and alleged that pro-Khalid slogans and graffiti had appeared in Bengaluru.
Critics say such objections reflect a familiar pattern in which Muslim activists, students and dissenting voices are branded as threats before their cases are fully adjudicated in court.
The attempt to stop the event has also raised questions over whether the BJP is seeking to police public discussion around politically sensitive cases involving Muslims and critics of the government, The Hindu reported.
Supporters of the programme argue that a literary discussion about a book does not amount to glorifying crime, particularly when the person at the centre of the discussion has not been convicted.
The controversy comes amid broader concerns about the use of anti-terror laws against Muslim activists and student leaders in India, The Deccan Herald reported.
While the BJP maintains that its demand is aimed at preserving public order, civil liberties advocates argue that preventing such events weakens democratic debate and deepens the marginalisation of Muslim political voices.
