Pro Afzal Guru event at JNU: 'Umar Khalid planned similar programs in 18 universities'

New Delhi: Umar Khalid, a Jawaharlal Nehru University student, wanted by Delhi Police in connection with 'anti-national' event on death anniversaries (February 09) of Parliament convict Afzal Guru and Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front co-founder Maqbool Bhat at JNU, had planned similar programs across 18 universities in the country, a report said on Wednesday.

According to the report, intelligence officials said that Umar Khalid, a member of 'Democratic Students Union' (DSU) was the main organiser of programs. The JNU student had sent some persons to 18 universities like the Banaras Hindu University, Allahabad University and many other in the country to do a recce, so that 'pro-Afzal Guru' events can be simultaneously organised in the reputed institutions on February 9.

Khalid's associates had visited numerous premier institutes and tried to meet and persuade students with pro-separatist mindset so that such an event can be organised.

Meanwhile, Delhi Police conducted several raids in Jammu and Kashmir, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar in connection with the JNU event.

According to a report, 10 people from Kashmir had entered into the JNU campus on February 07, two days ahead of the planned event on the death anniversaries of Afzal Guru and Jammu Kashmir Maqbool Bhat.

Notably, just two days after the 10 Kashmiri youths entered into the JNU, the prestigious educational institute witnessed clashes between two student groups over Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, who was hanged on February 09, 2013 in Tihar Jail.

The incident happened after a group of students organised a programme and termed the hanging of Afzal Guru and Maqbool Bhatt as "judicial killing”.

Jawaharlal University Students' Union president Kanhaiya Kumar has been arrested and has been placed under police custody.

Kanhiaya Kumar belongs to the CPI-affiliated All India Students Federation (AISF).