This is what Kanhaiya Kumar said: How is this 'anti-national'?

The event at the Jawaharlal Nehru University on February 9, where 'anti-India' slogans were raised, has garnered much nationwide attention and flak. Following that event, JNU students' union president Kanhaiya Kumar was arrested on the charge of sedition on Friday after he delivered a fiery speech at the campus the evening before. The Telegraph has made the following transcript of the speech Kumar delivered in Hindi on Thursday from a recording uploaded on YouTube.

Kumar, in his speech, said they do not need a "certificate of patriotism" or "nationalist certificate" from the RSS. "We fight for the 80 per cent of the poor population of this country," he said. "For us, this is nation worship. "They are the ones who burnt the Tricolour. They are followers of Savarkar who apologised to the British. They are the ones who, in Haryana, have changed the name of one airport. There was one airport named after Bhagat Singh. The Khattar government has now named it after one Sanghi. "We have full faith in Babasahab (Ambedkar). We have full faith in the Constitution of India. We want to say this very forcefully that if anyone tries to challenge the Constitution, be it the Sanghis, we will not tolerate."

We want to uphold the Constitution...

Speaking about the Constitution of India, Kumar said they have "full faith in Babasahab (Ambedkar)", adding that "if anyone tries to challenge the Constitution, be it the Sanghis, we will not tolerate".

"The Constitution and Babasahab Ambedkar talk about corrective measures. The same Babasahab Ambedkar talks about abolishing capital punishment. The same Babasahab Ambedkar talks about freedom of expression. And we want to uphold the Constitution, we want to uphold our right."

He accused ABVP of "running an orchestrated campaign", which he said they are doing "in association with their media friends".

Talking about the reduction of the higher education budget by "17 per cent", he said, "Our hostel has not been built for the past four years, there is no Wi-Fi. BHEL gave us one bus but the administration has no money for oil."

"They will be exposed if there is a debate on the basic issues in this country. We are proud of being JNU-ites because we discuss and debate the basic issues concerning this country. We raise issues related to the dignity of women, Dalits, tribals and minorities in this country." 

They aligned with the British and fired bullets on the freedom fighters...

Kumar challenged the right-wing on a debate on "the concept of violence", saying: "On behalf of JNU, I want to challenge RSS ideologues. Call us and hold a debate. We want to debate the concept of violence. We want to raise questions about the frenzied ABVP's slogans, their slogan that they will do tilak with blood and aarti with bullets."

"They say that five fingers are not equal. They advocate that women should emulate Sita and give agnipariksha. There is democracy in this country, and democracy gives equal rights to all - be it a student, a worker, the poor or the rich, Ambani or Adani. And when we talk about equal rights of women, they accuse us of destroying Indian culture."

If they have courage, they should raise the issues Ambedkar raised...

Kumar talked about how "the definition of culture has not been resolved", saying "We want to destroy the culture of exploitation, the culture of caste, the culture of Manuwad and Brahminism."

"They have a problem when people of this country talk about democracy, when they give blue salute along with red salute, when people talk about Ambedkar along with Marx, when people talk about Ashfaqulla Khan. They can't tolerate. It is their conspiracy."

Daring to be charged with a defamation case, he said "the RSS's history is of siding with the British."

"Check my mobile phone, friends. Dirty abuses are being hurled at my mother and sister. Which Mother India are you talking about? If my mother is not part of your Mother India, your concept of Mother India is not acceptable to me."

"I'm ashamed that in this country, the mothers of the poor, Dalit farmers are not part of Mother India."

"If they have courage, they should raise the issues Ambedkar raised. Caste system is one of the biggest problems in this country. Talk about caste system, bring reservation in every sector, bring reservation in the private sector.

"Raise these questions, then I will believe that you have faith in this country." 

Rohith will not lose his life here...

Kumar said that if "people's culture, beliefs and rights" are not assimilated, "a nation would not be formed".

"We stand firmly with the country, we stand for the dreams of Bhagat Singh and Babasahab Ambedkar. We stand for equal rights. We stand for the right to live. Rohith (Vemula) had to lose his life to stand for these rights."

"But we want to tell these Sanghis - "shame on your government". We challenge the central government - we will not allow in JNU whatever it did in the case of Rohith."Rohith will not lose his life here. We will not forget Rohith's sacrifice. We will stand for freedom of expression."

We challenge the justice of the ABVP and the RSS...

Before ending his speech, he said: "Who is Kasab? Who is Afzal Guru? Who are these people, who are in a state to wrap bombs around their body and kill?"

"They talk about justice. Who will decide what justice is? Brahminism did not allow Dalits to enter temples. The British did not allow dogs and Indians to enter restaurants. That was justice then."

"We challenged that justice and today we challenge the justice of the ABVP and the RSS because their justice does not accommodate justice for us.Kumar urged that "under no circumstances does the JNUSU support any violence, any terrorist, any terror incident and any anti-India activity." and that they condemn slogans of "Pakistan zindabad". 

On whose directive was the permission withdrawn...

Speaking about the withdrawal of permission for the February 9 programme, where eventually the anti-India slogans were shouted, Kumar demanded to know on "on whose directive was it withdrawn".

"We want to ask the JNU administration for whom, with whom and on what basis it works. It is now clear that the JNU administration first gives permission and then withdraws it on receiving a call from Nagpur. This thing of first giving permission and then withdrawing, it has intensified."

"First, they will announce fellowship and then tell that it has been withdrawn. This is the RSS and ABVP pattern with which they want to run this country." 

They will term the poor fellow anti-national...

Kumar said for the ABVP, "nation worship ends with an India-Pakistan cricket match."

"After that when they go out on the road, they misbehave with the person selling bananas. When the person selling bananas tells them that a dozen comes for Rs 40, they abuse him and accuse him of looting customers. They demand a dozen for Rs 30."

"The day the person selling bananas turns and tells them that you are the real looters, they will term the poor fellow anti-national. Nation worship begins and ends with wealth and facilities."

"The ABVP people will seek your votes with the "Om" flag. Ask them:'We are jihadis, we are terrorists, we are anti-nationals and by taking our votes, will they also become anti-national?'"

"Tell them that those few people too are saying that they did not raise slogans of "Pakistan zindabad", nor did they support terrorism."

"Those few people are asking why at first permission was granted and then withdrawn and this is an attack on their democratic right? These few people are saying that if somewhere a democratic struggle is being fought, they will stand for it."

"They will go around the campus and tell the students that the ABVP is not only breaking this country but also JNU and we will not allow this to happen."