National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) leader NS Abdul Hameed said he will be moving legally against Kerala Bharatiya Janata Party chief K Surendran for making “baseless allegations” against him.
Surendran’s remarks against Hameed were part of an ongoing verbal spat between the BJP Kerala and Member of Parliament TN Prathapan, who belong to the Indian National Congress.
The 29-year-old PhD scholar from Jamia Millia Islamia University New Delhi has been MP TN Prathapan’s public relations officer since 2017. He also serves as the NSUI JMI unit president.
Hailing from Kerala’s Thrissur district, Hameed was a prominent student figure during the nationwide anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protests at the University that began in December 2019.
“BJP is dragging my name to communalise the jibe,” Hameed told Maktoob. “They are doing this to Muslim youth belonging to any opposition parties.”
While directing his attack on Prathapan, Surendran said Abdul Hameed was a member of the now-banned Muslim outfit Popular Front of India and he was under investigation for Jamia violence and has been questioned by the National Investigation Agency.
“His role in the Delhi pogrom is proven,” Surendran alleged while detailing Prathapan’s alleged links with “PFI” and “terrorists”.
“Surendran is parroting some Whatsapp forward. I have never been part of PFI. While I was part of the anti-CAA movement, I have not been summoned for any probe, definitely not by NIA.”
“This is to discredit Prathapan at the expense of my name. I pity such politics,” Hameed responded.
Hameed said he has a parliament pass which can only be secured after a vigorous background check by both Delhi Police and Kerala Police.
Prathapan also responded to the remarks by posting on social media that the “baseless allegations” were “condemnable” and there would be “legal actions against such false accusations and defamations”.
National Students’ Union of India and the Muslim Student Federation have extended support of Hameed in their posters on social media.
