Umar Khalid not a terrorist but has poor judgement: Swara Bhaskar | Latest News India - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

Umar Khalid not a terrorist but has poor judgement: Swara Bhaskar

PTI | By, New Delhi
Feb 21, 2016 07:43 PM IST

In the letter to Khalid, Swara who studied sociology at JNU, has also questioned him for hiding from police saying, that is being taken as the most incriminating evidence of his guilt of being a terror sympathiser.

Bollywood actor Swara Bhaskar, a JNU alumnus, has written an open letter to varsity’s student Umar Khalid, who is being searched in connection with a sedition case.

Bollywood actor Swara Bhaskar has written an open letter to Umar Khalid.(File Photo)
Bollywood actor Swara Bhaskar has written an open letter to Umar Khalid.(File Photo)

Khalid is among the students, who are being looked out by police in connection with an event at JNU against hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru during which anti-national slogans were allegedly raised.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

The varsity’s students’ union president Kanhaiya is in judicial custody in a sedition case over the incident.

In the letter to Khalid, Swara who studied sociology at JNU, has also questioned him for hiding from police saying, that is being taken as the most incriminating evidence of his guilt of being a terror sympathiser.

“No, you are not a terrorist Umar Khaled, you are a radical and an idiot with poor judgement of what to say where, but you do NOT deserve to be jailed, tortured or killed for that,” she said in the letter. “I am a JNU alumnus. I spent two years doing my Masters in JNU at CSSS and am now a Bollywood actress. I was never a member of any student political party in JNU though I voted Left. I scoffed and chatted with friends about how silly Democratic Students Union (with which Khalid was formerly associated) still was.

“That was until Kanhaiya was arrested and you and six or seven others went underground, everyone got slapped with sedition charges and the public discourse in this country erupted into the most emotive and also most polemical discussion about patriotism and sedition,” she added.

Swara said she was not even thinking about Khaled as she was focused on freeing Kanhaiya by “waging my little Facebook-Twitter war” with so called patriots but she started worrying when TV news started linking him to a terrorist organisation.

“This discomfiture expanded steadily in the coming days as I began to see your name flashing everywhere as the runaway TERRORIST. Your family, I’m sorry to tell you, is being harassed. Your parents and sisters are being threatened in diverse ways....,”

The “Tanu Weds Manu” star wrote. “Why did you go into hiding and not surrender to the police? You know that is being taken as the most incriminating evidence of your guilt of being a terror sympathiser, if not a terrorist, right?,” she added.

Swara also participated in a solidarity march for JNU students at Jantar Mantar last week.

Unveiling Elections 2024: The Big Picture', a fresh segment in HT's talk show 'The Interview with Kumkum Chadha', where leaders across the political spectrum discuss the upcoming general elections. Watch now!

Get Current Updates on India News, Election 2024, Arvind Kejriwal News Live, Bihar Board 10th Result 2024 Live along with Latest News and Top Headlines from India and around the world.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Thursday, March 28, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On