Kafeel Khan slapped with NSA over anti-CAA speech at AMU

Lucknow: The stringent National Security Act (NSA) has been slapped on Dr Kafeel Khan, who is lodged in Mathura jail, in connection with his anti-CAA speech at the Aligarh Muslim University.

Khan was arrested by the UP Special Task Force from Mumbai on January 29 for allegedly promoting enmity between different religions through the speech he had delivered during a protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) at AMU on December 12.

"NSA has been slapped on Dr Kafeel. He will remain in jail," Aligarh Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Akash Kulhari to PTI over phone.

In Aligarh, District Magistrate Chandra Bhushan Singh told reporters that Kafeel Khan's speech at AMU was instrumental in triggering violent incidents at the university on December 13 and 15.

"We had apprehensions that after his release on bail, Dr Kafeel Khan would have caused more law and order issues in the state," the district magistrate said.

Criticising his detention under the stringent law, Khan's brother Adil Khan said the government wanted him to "remain quiet".

The NSA allows preventive detention for several months if the authorities believe the person is a threat to national security or law and order.

Kafeel Khan is currently lodged in Mathura jail depsite bail granted to him by a court in the case, registered against him at the Civil Lines police station in Aligarh for promoting enmity between different religions.

Adil Khan said, "The government is trying to silence my brother. A few days ago, during a programme on a TV news channel, he had revealed that at BRD Medical College (Gorakhpur), many children are dying daily but the government is hiding the facts and data."

"The (Mathura) jail was about to release him on Friday at 6 am. My brother Kashif along with the lawyer reached the jail but by 9 am police presence at the jail was increased and we were told verbally by jail authorities that the NSA has been invoked on him," Adil Khan said.