ABVP Demands Cancellation of Umar Khalid Documentary Screening at NLSIU Bengaluru

The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad has formally demanded that the National Law School of India University in Bengaluru cancel the scheduled screening of Lalit Vachani's documentary Prisoner No. 626710 is Present. The student organization submitted a formal complaint to the university administration ahead of the September 14 screening but stated that it had received no official response from campus authorities.

The documentary event was organized by the Law and Society Committee, a student body at NLSIU, to mark Political Prisoners' Day and coincide with the anniversary of activist Umar Khalid's arrest. Khalid has been imprisoned since September 2020 under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act in connection with the 2020 Delhi riots, and his case remains pending without trial.

In its official statement, ABVP Bengaluru strongly condemned the planned screening on university grounds. ABVP Bengaluru secretary Abhinandan Mirji stated that academic institutions must remain dedicated to national integrity and learning rather than functioning as venues for political propaganda or civil unrest.

The student group's representation highlighted Khalid's past association with student politics at Jawaharlal Nehru University and referenced controversies surrounding slogans raised during the 2016 JNU protests, Afzal Guru commemorations, and demonstrations against the Citizenship Amendment Act and National Register of Citizens.

University authorities received formal communication regarding the event not only from student wings but also from external legal figures. Girish Bharadwaj, an advocate and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh swayamsevak, wrote directly to the NLSIU Vice-Chancellor urging him to withhold permission for the screening.

In his communication to the university leadership, Bharadwaj argued that the administration has a responsibility as custodian of institutional legacy to prevent the campus from being utilized for politically motivated events. Despite these formal representations from both student organizations and legal practitioners, the NLSIU administration did not issue an immediate public response or announce any alteration to the schedule.

The dispute at NLSIU follows a similar controversy involving university permissions at Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi during the preceding month. JNU authorities previously revoked an auditorium booking for a scheduled academic discussion regarding Khalid's published PhD thesis, which explores Adivasi histories and the politics of power.

In the Delhi instance, university officials cited non-disclosure of full facts about the program when rescinding the venue permission just one day prior to the event. ABVP claimed credit for that cancellation, though the book discussion was ultimately relocated to an alternative site on the JNU campus amidst demonstrations and security disruptions.

The Bengaluru screening is part of a broader series of coordinated solidarity events held across multiple cities on September 13 to mark Political Prisoners' Day. Organizers and supporting civil society groups have used these gatherings to draw attention to prolonged pre-trial detentions under stringent anti-terror legislation.

Umar Khalid's ongoing incarceration without trial under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act continues to draw significant debate across legal and political forums in India. As of mid-September 2026, the formal judicial proceedings addressing the charges against the former student leader remain ongoing before the courts.