Karnataka Congress chief calls Umar Khalid 'nationalist'; BJP hits back hard
Synopsis
Karnataka Congress chief B.K. Hariprasad called UAPA-detained activist Umar Khalid a 'nationalist' — a politically charged word that drew immediate fire from BJP's Sambit Patra. The flashpoint: an ABVP-opposed documentary screening at Bengaluru's premier law school marking six years of Khalid's imprisonment without trial, a case the Supreme Court revisited as recently as February 2026.
Key Takeaways
Karnataka Congress President B.K.
Hariprasad on 15 September 2026 called imprisoned activist Umar Khalid a 'nationalist' while criticising the ABVP .
The remarks came after the ABVP demanded cancellation of a documentary screening of 'Prisoner No.
626710 is Present' at NLSIU, Bengaluru .
The event, originally scheduled for 14 September , was rescheduled by the university citing 'logistical' and 'security considerations'.
Umar Khalid has been held under the UAPA for six years in connection with the 2020 Delhi riots ; his bail plea was rejected by the Supreme Court in February 2026 .
BJP MP Sambit Patra called Hariprasad's remark 'deeply condemnable' and linked it to Congress's past meetings with Yasin Malik .
Karnataka Congress President B.K. Hariprasad on Tuesday, 15 September publicly described imprisoned activist Umar Khalid as a 'nationalist', sparking sharp political controversy after the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) demanded cancellation of a documentary screening on Khalid at the National Law School of India University (NLSIU) in Bengaluru. The remarks triggered an immediate and pointed counter-offensive from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which called the statement 'deeply condemnable'.
What Hariprasad Said
Speaking to reporters, Hariprasad defended Khalid and turned his fire on the ABVP. 'Umar Khalid is a nationalist. And ABVP has no right to speak about Umar Khalid because ABVP adores Nathuram Godse, who is anti-national; the first terrorist of the country. They have no moral right or moral ethics to speak about Umar Khalid,' he said.
The remarks came in direct response to the ABVP's demand to cancel a campus screening of filmmaker Lalit Vachani's documentary titled 'Prisoner No. 626710 is Present', which was originally scheduled for 14 September by the university's Law and Society Committee. The NLSIU subsequently said the event was rescheduled citing 'logistical' and 'security considerations'.
The Umar Khalid Case — Background
The documentary screening was being organised in solidarity with Umar Khalid, marking six years of his imprisonment without trial under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in connection with the 2020 Delhi riots. Khalid's bail plea was rejected by the Supreme Court as recently as February 2026, keeping him in custody pending trial.
BJP's Counterattack
BJP MP Sambit Patra delivered a sharp rebuttal, directly addressing Hariprasad's characterisation of Khalid. 'Today, the kind of statement made by Karnataka Congress President B.K. Hariprasad is deeply condemnable. B.K. Hariprasad referred to Umar Khalid as a nationalist… Look at the sympathy the Congress party harbours for that very Umar Khalid — they are calling him a nationalist!' Patra said.
Patra also drew a connection to Congress's past engagements with Kashmiri separatist leader Yasin Malik, alleging the party had invited and 'embraced' Malik and that former Prime Minister late Manmohan Singh had, in his words, 'even honoured him'. 'So Yasin Maliks and Umar Khalids are the nationalists for the Congress party, while they have always demeaned the core ideology of India. This is what the Congress party has reduced itself to in appeasement,' Patra added. He predicted that the people of Karnataka and India would deliver a 'fitting reply' to the Congress.
Political Significance
The episode underscores the deep fault lines over civil liberties and national security that continue to define India's political discourse. The UAPA — under which Khalid has been held — has drawn sustained criticism from civil liberties advocates who argue it enables prolonged detention without trial, while the government and its supporters contend the law is a necessary counter-terrorism instrument. The documentary controversy at a premier law school adds an institutional dimension, raising questions about academic freedom and campus security protocols. This is not the first time the Congress and BJP have clashed sharply over the framing of UAPA detainees, but Hariprasad's explicit use of the word 'nationalist' to describe Khalid is notably direct and is unlikely to go uncontested in the days ahead.
Point of View
Not a slip. It is designed to make UAPA detention a campaign-ready grievance in Karnataka, where the Congress government has room to distinguish itself from the Centre on civil liberties. The BJP's counter, linking Khalid to Yasin Malik, is equally calculated: it collapses the distinction between undertrial activism and separatism in the public mind. What gets lost in this exchange is the actual legal question — a man held for six years without trial under a law that critics argue tilts the scales heavily against the accused. The partisan noise on both sides tends to crowd out that accountability question entirely.
NationPress
15 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Karnataka Congress chief B.K. Hariprasad call Umar Khalid a nationalist?
Hariprasad made the remark on 15 September 2026 in response to the ABVP's demand to cancel a documentary screening on Umar Khalid at NLSIU, Bengaluru. He argued that the ABVP had no moral authority to question Khalid's credentials, invoking Nathuram Godse to challenge the organisation's own nationalist claims.
What is the documentary 'Prisoner No. 626710 is Present' about?
It is a documentary by filmmaker Lalit Vachani about imprisoned activist Umar Khalid, who has been held under the UAPA for six years in connection with the 2020 Delhi riots. It was scheduled for screening at NLSIU on 14 September by the university's Law and Society Committee before being rescheduled.
Why is Umar Khalid in prison?
Umar Khalid has been detained under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in connection with the 2020 Delhi riots. He has been held without trial for six years, and the Supreme Court rejected his bail plea as recently as February 2026.
How did the BJP respond to Hariprasad's remarks?
BJP MP Sambit Patra called the statement 'deeply condemnable' and said it reflected Congress's pattern of 'appeasement', linking the remark to the party's past meetings with Kashmiri separatist leader Yasin Malik. Patra predicted voters in Karnataka and across India would deliver a 'fitting reply' to the Congress.
Why was the NLSIU documentary screening rescheduled?
The National Law School of India University said the event, originally set for 14 September, was rescheduled due to 'logistical' and 'security considerations'. The ABVP had publicly demanded its cancellation before the university announced the change.
