In a disturbing act of intellectual dishonesty, actor Prakash Raj has penned a piece in The Hindu romanticizing Umar Khalid — a man facing serious charges under the UAPA for his alleged role in the 2020 Delhi riots. That a mainstream national newspaper offered its platform for such a glorification is not just unfortunate — it’s outrageous.
Umar Khalid: Poster Boy of Provocation
Umar Khalid is no innocent student leader being wrongly imprisoned. This is the same man whose name has repeatedly surfaced in connection with anti-national sloganeering — remember “Bharat Tere Tukde Honge, Insha Allah, Insha Allah”? Raised on the JNU campus, these slogans became symbolic of a dangerous ideological rot that glorified separatism in the name of dissent. Khalid was one of the event organisers and never once distanced himself from such rhetoric.
In 2020, during the Delhi riots that left 53 dead, including Hindus and Muslims alike, Khalid was arrested for allegedly orchestrating violence through inflammatory speeches and backdoor mobilization. As per Delhi Police, he was a key conspirator in the riots that engulfed Northeast Delhi in blood and chaos. Despite repeated bail pleas, courts have refused relief — citing credible evidence of his involvement.
Selective Sympathy: Prakash Raj’s Hypocrisy Exposed
Enter Prakash Raj, self-styled activist and part-time actor who even mocked the India’s Moon Missions, took a break from his echo chamber to visit Umar Khalid’s family in Delhi. In his The Hindu piece, he sings paeans to Khalid, reducing serious criminal charges to a “fight for justice.”
But in all his emotional outpouring, one name doesn’t find a mention — Ankit Sharma, the 26-year-old IB officer brutally murdered during the riots, allegedly by a Muslim mob encouraged by the very ecosystem that Khalid was a part of. Ankit’s mutilated body was recovered from a drain days after he went missing. Not a word from Prakash Raj. Not a visit to Ankit’s grieving family. Apparently, their pain doesn’t fit the script.
When Media Becomes a Megaphone for Falsehood
That The Hindu chose to platform such one-sided glorification is even more problematic. Are facts inconvenient now? Is victimhood a privilege only for the ideologically aligned? This piece isn’t journalism. It’s a PR job. And not even a subtle one.
When media houses start legitimizing accused individuals through celebrity pens, they betray the public’s trust. They erase victims. They distort narratives. And they embolden those who exploit democracy to weaken the nation from within.
Justice Cannot Be Hijacked by Narrative
This isn’t about opposing dissent. This is about calling out the deliberate whitewashing of those facing grave charges. Prakash Raj’s selective morality and The Hindu’s blind platforming deserve public scrutiny.
Umar Khalid is not a symbol of resistance. He’s a symbol of how far some will go to wrap venom in the garb of victimhood. Let the courts decide his fate — but don’t let the media rewrite the truth while families like Ankit Sharma’s are still waiting for justice.
Author: Rishi Kalia is a seasoned entrepreneur, Digital media Strategist and political analyst with 23 years of diverse experience in business and public discourse. Tweets at Rishi Kalia
