Samajwadi Party (SP) leader ST Hasan on Wednesday, 16 September publicly backed imprisoned activist Umar Khalid, asserting that Khalid has consistently championed national integration and communal harmony — directly refuting charges of instigating violence levelled against him. Hasan's remarks add to a growing chorus of opposition voices defending Khalid, who has been in judicial custody for six years without his trial commencing.

What Hasan Said

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, the SP leader flatly rejected the 'anti-national' label applied to Khalid. 'As far as we understand, Umar Khalid has always spoken about national integration. He has always talked about communal harmony and freedom from oppression. Everyone knows who is the oppressor and who's oppressed. I do not understand how he has become anti-national,' Hasan said.

He expressed particular concern over the prolonged incarceration without trial. 'It is also unfortunate that he has been in jail for six years, and his trial has not even begun yet. Who is stopping it? You know that very well,' Hasan remarked, implying systemic obstruction without naming specific actors.

Broader Political Attack

Hasan did not limit his remarks to Khalid's case. He argued that the current state of affairs could not be characterised as functioning democracy, and invoked the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi's assassin Nathuram Godse to make a pointed political argument. 'It is a known fact that Nathuram Godse was the first terrorist of the country, who killed Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the nation, and that we are standing at such a juncture where we want to build temples for such an individual. Where are we standing? Has our conscience lost its direction?' he said.

He further contended that those who, in his view, historically collaborated with British colonial rule have no moral standing to question anyone else's nationalism.

Congress Joins the Debate

Hasan's remarks follow similar statements from the opposition a day earlier. On Tuesday, 15 September, Karnataka Congress chief B.K. Hariprasad called Khalid 'a nationalist' and trained his fire on the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) after the student wing opposed a proposed documentary screening based on Khalid's life at the National Law School of India University (NLSIU) in Bengaluru.

'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,' Hariprasad told reporters.

BJP's Counterposition

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has repeatedly criticised opposition leaders for defending Khalid and describing him as a nationalist. The party's student wing, ABVP, has actively opposed campus screenings of the documentary, framing such events as an attempt to rehabilitate a figure it considers anti-national. The standoff over the NLSIU screening has turned the Khalid question into a live flashpoint in student politics.

Background: Six Years Without Trial

Umar Khalid has been incarcerated since September 2020 under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in connection with the 2020 Delhi riots. His case has drawn sustained attention from civil liberties organisations, who argue that the prolonged pre-trial detention without bail — now entering its seventh year — raises serious questions about due process. The government has maintained that the charges against him are grave and substantiated. His bail applications have been rejected multiple times by courts.

With opposition parties increasingly vocal in his defence ahead of state election cycles, the political battle over Khalid's case is unlikely to subside in the near term.