Author: Ananya Bhardwaj
Publication: Hindustan Times
Date: February 16, 2016
URL:   http://www.hindustantimes.com/india/delhi-police-has-enough-proof-to-nail-jnu-students-commissioner-bassi/story-336umRNMeDZWkiPVrYsnfN.html

Delhi Police commissioner BS Bassi has said that he has enough photo and video evidence to prove sedition charges slapped against JNU students and that no innocent was being made to suffer.

Bassi also made it clear that neither the special cell nor the National Investigating Agency (NIA) have been asked to probe the links between the JNU students and terrorist Afzal Guru.

“The local police are competent enough to probe the case and it is definitely not being transferred to either special cell or NIA… Whatever needs to be probed will be done by the local police and not the intelligence agencies,” he said.

Asked about allegations made by JNU teachers that it was wrong to register a case of sedition as the act was only that of ‘dissent’, Bassi said, “Sedition is bringing in hatred and contempt or exciting disaffection towards the State by words or by signs or visible representation. The case was registered on the basis of prima facie evidence.”

“Anyone who is indulging in slogan shouting which tends to impact the integrity of our nation and can excite others to lead to the breakdown of public order are required to be brought before the court for dispensation of justice in the matter,” Bassi said.

The police chief said that the matter of students’ links with terrorist organisations was under investigation. “The facts will be out once it is completed,” he said.

On the issue of the tweet in name of Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Hafiz Saeed, Bassi said, “The tweet was brought to our notice and the contents were found to be highly seditious in nature. It is then that it was decided to alert and educate the youth to be wary of the person or organisation that are enemies of our country. The authenticity of the tweet is not relevant at this juncture. What is important is to be aware of the evil desires of our enemies and take precautions so as to not fall prey to them.”

The tweet was deleted soon after social media started reacting to it. In reaction to that, the police issued an alert asking the youth to “not get carried away by such seditious anti-national rhetoric”.