'Selective outrage reflects unhealthy democracy': Manoj Jha on sloganeering against PM Modi, Amit Shah in JNU

New Delhi [India], January 6 (ANI): On slogans against PM Modi and HM Amit Shah at JNU, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Manoj Jha on Tuesday said there is no place for such slogans in a civilised democracy, but questioned "selective outrage," warning it reflects an unhealthy democracy and stressing that wishing death on anyone is unacceptable.
Speaking to ANI, Jha said, "There is no place for such slogans in a civilised democracy. But what is this selective outrage? This is a sign of our democracy becoming unhealthy...We can't wish death for anyone..."
According to the media reports, a group of JNU students on Monday raised slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah on the university campus, following the Supreme Court's denial of bail to Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in the 2020 Delhi riots conspiracy case.
Reacting to the incident, Uttar Pradesh Minister Dayashankar Singh criticised the students, saying they were being funded by India yet "hold a foreign mindset".
"In JNU, they study with India's money and hold a foreign mindset; the country should remain cautious of such people," he told media persons.
Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya also condemned the sloganeering, and emphasised the importance of respecting the country's judicial process.
"Overall, this country has a judicial process; whatever happens in that is happening. The country will not accept this kind of sloganeering," Maurya told ANI.
On Monday, the Supreme Court denied bail to Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in a case about an alleged larger conspiracy behind the 2020 north-east Delhi riots.
However, the SC granted bail to Gulfisha Fatima, Meeran Haider, Shifa Ur Rehman, and Mohd. Saleem Khan and Shadab Ahmad.
The Court noted that Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam stand on a "qualitatively different footing" both in terms of prosecution and evidence.
It noted that their roles were "central" to the alleged offences as regards these two, though the period of incarceration is continued and long, it does not violate the Constitutional mandate or override the statutory embargo under the laws.
Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam and others were arrested in January 2020 under the stringent provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in the Delhi riots case in February 2020. (ANI)