Srinagar, Oct 24 : The Jammu and Kashmir unit of the BJP on Saturday criticised jailed activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam over slogans supporting “Free Kashmir” and “Free Sharjeel Imam” reportedly found on the walls of Jamia Millia Islamia in Delhi amid a student hunger strike.
In a post on X, the BJP’s J&K unit asserted that Kashmir was an “inalienable and inseparable” part of India and accused the activists of harbouring ambitions of separating the region from the country.
“Dear Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam & Co. Stop dreaming,” the party said in the post.
Describing Kashmir as the “land of Rishi Kashyap”, the BJP said the region was not a subject for campus debates in which separatist slogans could prevail.
The party also referred to the activists’ continued incarceration and the rejection of their bail pleas, questioning their ability to challenge the Indian state.
The BJP’s remarks came as a student hunger strike at Jamia Millia Islamia, demanding student union elections, entered its third day on Saturday.
The university administration has decided to form a committee to draft a constitution for the student union and deployed a medical team to monitor the health of the protesters.
The identity of those responsible for the graffiti on the campus walls remained unclear.
Khalid and Imam have been in custody since 2020 in connection with the larger conspiracy case linked to the February 2020 northeast Delhi riots. Their bail pleas have been rejected at various stages of the legal proceedings.
