BJP Slams Congress’ ‘Empathy’ For Separatists Over Arundhati Roy’s Trial, Opposition Calls Delhi L-G’s Move ‘Illogical’

A war of words broke out between the government and the Opposition after Delhi Lt Governor V K Saxena gave the nod to prosecute Booker prize-winning author Arundhati Roy for a speech about Kashmir she gave 14 years ago.

Roy along with Sheikh Showkat Hussain, a former professor in Kashmir, will be prosecuted under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for allegedly making provocative speeches at an event in Delhi in 2010.

Opposition’s Reaction

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) condemned the action against Roy and said the move defies logic.

“Condemnable! The Delhi LG has granted permission to prosecute Arundhati Roy under the draconian UAPA for a speech reportedly made 14 years ago – in 2010. Defies logic except the fascist kind. Timing is suspect since courts are on vacation, as are lawyers. Shameful and Condemnable!” the part said in a post on X.

Congress leader Hariprasad B K also condemned the LG’s sanction to prosecute Roy, who is a “brilliant mind, an internationally renowned writer, and a leading intellectual.”

“Fascism thrives on crushing dissent, particularly from intellectuals, artists, writers, poets & activists. BJP manufacture crises daily to distract and overwhelm dissenters enabling them to divert attention from their failures. This assault on free expression & democratic values is unacceptable,” he said in a post on X.

Trinamool MP-elect Mahua Moitra also came out in Roy’s support and said, “If by prosecuting Arundhati Roy under UAPA BJP trying to prove they’re back, well they’re not. And they’ll never be back the same way they were. This kind of fascism is exactly what Indians have voted against.”

BJP’s Allegation

Reacting to the development, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) slammed Congress and questioned the grand old party for being empathetic towards ‘separatist and terrorist organisations’.

Taking to X, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla posted a video message questioning the Congress party’s apparent unease regarding the ongoing judicial process.

“Just now I got to know that LG sir has given sanction to prosecute Arundhati Roy, someone who generally speaks the language of separatism. But why are Congress and its ecosystem restless with the ongoing judicial process? Why are they shedding tears of grief?” he asked.

The BJP leader alleged that Congress has a history of siding with separatist ideologies.

“Has Congress’ ecosystem already decided that they will stand with all the people belonging to the separatist gang? We saw that Congress party’s leaders said that they will keep supporting SGPI… In one instance Congress stands with SGPI, at other instances their leaders are seen supporting figures like Yakub Menon and Afzal Guru, both declared terrorists by the Supreme Court,” he said.

“Why is the Congress party and its ecosystem so empathetic towards the separatists and terrorist organizations? People who stand with the Tukde Tukde gang, people who say that Kashmir is not an integral part of India. Arundhati Roy could say this under the rule and protection of the Congress government in 2010,” Poonawalla alleged.

He further accused the grand old party of standing with separatists and terrorists, and asked, “Till how long will the Congress party keep protecting the separatists and terrorists?” he asked.

The Case

The FIR against Roy and Hussain in the matter was registered on a complaint made by Sushil Pandit, a social activist from Kashmir, on October 28, 2010, following the orders of the Court of Metropolitan Magistrate, New Delhi.

Last October, the LG granted sanction to prosecute them under section 196 of CrPC for commission of offences punishable under different sections of the Indian Penal Code: 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony), 153B (imputations, assertions prejudicial to national-integration) and 505 (statements conducing to public mischief).

Roy and Hussain had allegedly made provocative speeches at a conference organised under the banner of ‘Azadi – The Only Way’ on October 21, 2010, at Little Theatre Group Auditorium, Copernicus Marg, in Delhi.

Those who delivered speeches at the conference included Syed Ali Shah Geelani, SAR Geelani (anchor of the Conference and prime accused in the Parliament attack case), Arundhati Roy, Dr. Sheikh Showkat Hussain and Varavara Rao.

The event at the LTG auditorium was disrupted by the BJP.

When the initial sanction was granted last year, Chidambaram tweeted: “There was no justification then to register a case against her on the charge of sedition…There is no justification now to sanction prosecution against her.”