Bhim Army Chief Chandrashekhar Azad Back At Jama Masjid Hours Before Court Deadline To Leave Delhi

New Delhi:

Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad aka Raavan emerged at the Jama Masjid on Friday, just a few hours before his court deadline to leave Delhi after being released on bail. Sitting on the steps of the iconic mosque with protesters, he read out the preamble of the constitution.

Chandrashekhar Azad was arrested on December 21 after a similar protest at Jama Masjid the day before.

The Bhim Army chief visited a temple this morning and plans to go to the Bangla Sahib Gurudwara and a church, making the most of his limited time in Delhi before 9 pm. He is also expected to address the media.

A court on Wednesday granted him bail on the condition that he leaves Delhi within 24 hours and stay away for four weeks.

Giving him bail, a Delhi judge quoted from Rabindranath Tagore’s ”Where the Mind is Without Fear” and said citizens have a fundamental right to peaceful protests which cannot be curtailed by the state.

Additional Sessions Judge Kamini Lau said the constitution guarantees the right to protest peacefully.

Azad was charged with arson, rioting and inciting violence but the police was rebuked by the judge for not producing evidence.

“I am reminded of our reverend patriotic poet Rabindranath Tagore who is most relevant today. When the British followed the policy of divide and rule, Tagore visualised a nation where there is no fear in the minds people and education is attained by all,” Judge Kamini Lau said.

Rabindranath Tagore wanted his countrymen to be honest and thoughtful. “In our democratic set-up, we have a fundamental right to peaceful protest guaranteed by the Constitution, which cannot be curtailed by the state,” said the judge.

“However, at the same time, our constitution strikes a fine balance between the rights and duties. While exercising our right of peaceful protest, it is our duty to ensure that no corresponding right of another is violated and no inconvenience was caused to anyone,” she asserted.

“There is no evidence that Azad indulged in violence or inflammatory speech. The only thing he read was the preamble to the constitution, which is a sacred document.”