Umar Khalid Attacked: Modi Government Creating Atmosphere of Fear, Says Prashant Bushan

New Delhi, Aug 13: Activist-lawyer Prashant Bushan today accused the BJP government of creating an atmosphere of fear in the country and targeting those who speaks against the dispensation. Speaking at an event titled 'Khauff se Azaadi' (Freedom from Fear) here, minutes after Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student leader Umar Khalid was allegedly attacked by unidentified men, Bhushan said, "This was done to create fear. So, that no one speaks or fights against the government." "Individuals like Umar Khalid and Kanhaiya Kumar are being targeted and termed anti-nationals and Naxalite for speaking against the government. We are abused on social media, while women receive rape threats," he added. Khalid was supposed to address the gathering at the Constitution Club near Parliament, but could not after the attack on him.

Terming the Bharatiya Janata Party government "fascist", Bhushan urged the people to fight against such tendencies. "We can see symptoms of fascism in this government. People in power are addressing provocative speeches, trying to hamper communal harmony. Muslims are being termed terrorists. People in opposition are termed anti-nationals," the senior Supreme Court lawyer said. He alleged that fake news were being spread and big media houses were brought under the government's control. "The government is even trying to change the electoral system," he added.

Raising concerns over the safety, former Rajya Sabha MP Anwar Ali said even Lutyens' Delhi was not safe anymore. "Today, Umar Khalid was attacked right here at the Constitution Club. This could have happened with anyone of us anywhere," he said, adding that the word mob-lynching had become a small issue now.

"The issue of mob lynching should not be made an issue of Muslim. Those currently in power term every Muslim a terrorist and Dalits as Naxalite. There's an political and ideological battle," he said. Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha, who was also at the event, added that living in fear was also a form of mob-lynching and urged people to fight against the government.

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