JNU student Umar Khalid shot at in Delhi

In an outrageous attack by unidentified men, JNU student Umar Khalid ,known for his strident criticism of the ruling party was attacked, just outside Constitution Club in New Delhi today, on 13.8.2018. He was with friends and miraculously escaped unhurt. Two shots were fired and a revolver was found on the spot, but the 2 men escaped the scene.

Event on “Freedom without Fear”

Khalid was at Constitution Club to speak at an event called ‘Freedom From Fear’, which was also going to be addressed by the mother of Rohith, Radhika Vemula and family members of lynching victims, including Hapur lynching survivor.

“It’s ironic but it’s not surprising. Just five minutes ago, there was an attempt to kill me. A person came with a gun, tried to overpower me, tried to shoot me down. Thankfully, my friends were there with me, who tried to overpower him in return. He ran away and he fired from across the road.”

“It reminded me of what happened to Gauri Lankesh”- Khalid

“What has happened in the last two years is that there has been such a disinformation, hateful, propaganda campaign that has been spread by some media houses, by troll armies of the ruling party, where anyone who opposes the present government, who questions the present government, they are branded anti-nationals, they are branded all kinds of things, and then anything can be done to them.

I was very scared in that moment when he pointed the gun at me. In that moment I was being reminded of what happened to Gauri Lankesh, and I thought that moment has arrived.

I’m really thankful to my friends who were present there that they could overpower him and I survived.”