Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president BK Hariprasad has sparked a major controversy by referring to the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) accused who has been booked for his role in anti-Hindu Delhi, Umar Khalid, as a “nationalist.” He alleged, “Umar Khalid is a nationalist, and ABVP (Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad) has no right to speak on him because they adore Nathuram Godse, who was an anti-national and the first terrorist of the country. They have no moral right or moral ethics to speak on Khalid,” while talking to the media.
Bengaluru, Karnataka: On Umar Khalid’s documentary row, State Congress President B. K. Hariprasad says, “Umar Khalid is a nationalist. And ABVP has no right to speak about Umar Khalid because ABVP adores Nathuram Godse, who is anti-national, a terrorist- the first terrorist of… pic.twitter.com/m62Hy0sJKF
— IANS (@ians_india) September 15, 2026
The comments were made in the midst of an uproar around the planned showing of “Prisoner No 626710 is Present” at National Law School of India University (NLSIU) in Bengaluru. The documentary, which focuses on Khalid, was supposed to screen at 7:00 pm on 14th September (Monday), but it has been rescheduled. It is directed by Lalit Vachani, who teaches at the University of Göttingen in Germany.
A day earlier, the NLSUI declared that it had decided to postpone the screening because of “logistical and security concerns.” It added, “We are making it clear that we are not backing out of the event because of pressure from anyone. The postponement is a precautionary step taken to ensure that the screening can be held in a safe and responsible manner.” It stated that the event would take place in the present trimester.
ABVP opposes glorification of Khalid
The ABVP has consistently protested against the decision and called on the central government to step in and order the “immediate and absolute cancellation” of the documentary. It sought “a comprehensive inquiry into the NLSIU administration and organising committee regarding how permission was granted for an event glorifying an individual accused of anti-national activities and civil disruption, while ignoring formal complaints submitted by student bodies.”
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi, and Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal received letters from the ABVP’s Bengaluru unit requesting their intervention. According to the student body, the postponement was a “stalling tactic” to placate public fury. It also submitted that reputable educational institutions shouldn’t serve as venues for political propaganda.
Additionally, ABVP requested that the centre should order the university to permanently withdraw all authorisation for the documentary to be produced, broadcast, or advertised on campus. It pointed out that open discourse and academic freedom are constitutional rights, but institutional integrity, national security and sovereignty should always be above freedom of expression.
