Among 9 people who have been booked on sedition charges regarding JNU issue,  Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury are also included.

As per the complaint filed by lawyer Janardhan Goud, the other six people included in the FIR registered are Congress leaders Anand Sharma and Ajay Maken, CPI leader D Raja, JD(U) Spokesperson KC Tyagi, JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar and JNU research scholar Umar Khalid.

Reacting to the issue, Saroornagar Police Station Inspector S Lingaiah said, “It is a court-referred matter. Following the court's directive, a case under section 124A of the IPC (sedition) has been registered yesterday against nine persons, including Rahul Gandhi, Arvind Kejriwal, Sitaram Yechury, JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar and others.”

In the petition that is scheduled for hearing on March 4th, Goud said, even after knowing that, Delhi police had registered case against Kanhaiya on charge of sedition,   Rahul and other leaders had visited JNU campus and supported them and hence it “amounted to sedition”.

Kanhaiya and Khalid, who have earlier been arrested in Delhi on sedition charges, have been booked here again on the same charge.

In his petition, Goud said he has every right to question those who are indulging in “anti-national activities and also those who are encouraging anti-nationals in the name of solidarity for those who are facing criminal charges under section 124(A) of IPC.”

By Phani Ch