Hope Kanhaiya proves himself worthy of support he received: Shatrughan Sinha

Expressing happiness over the release of Kanhaiya Kumar from Tihar prison, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Shatrughan Sinha on Saturday said that he hoped the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Students' Union president would prove himself worthy of the support that he received from everyone who felt that he had been wronged.

"Happy about the grant of bail (although conditional) by the honourable court to Kanhaiya & pleased that he's been released from prison. Hope, wish and pray that he will prove himself worthy of the support that he received from everyone who felt that he was wronged," Sinha said in a series of tweets.

The rebel BJP leader had come out in support of Kanhaiya earlier saying that he had said nothing that amounted to sedition.

"Have heard transcript of speech of Kanhaiya, our Bihar boy president of JNUSU. He has said nothing anti national or against constitution. Hope wish and pray that he's release soon, sooner the better," Sinha tweeted.

Sinha further stated that the Jawaharlal Nehru University is going through a crisis 'for reasons best known to politicians'.

He went on to say that the JNU is an institution of international repute, enviable record and history.

"It is a seat of learning for some of India's brightest young minds & also some very respectable teachers. Save it from further embarrassment, he tweeted.

Speaking to the media yesterday after he was released from Tihar Jail after he was charged for sedition, Kanhaiya asserted that nationalism cannot be anyone's 'patented' idea while stating that he has full faith in the Indian Constitution as it was a document which can't be 'doctored'.

Talking about Afzal Guru, he clearly stated that the Parliament attack convict was not his hero and it was Hyderabad University scholar Rohith Vemula.

"Afzal Guru was a citizen of this nation, he was from Jammu and Kashmir and the law punished him. He is not an icon for me, Rohith Vemula is. There will a Rohith Vemula in every house," Kanhaiya said.

Earlier, the government had warned Kanhaiya after his release that he must help the concerned authorities to see that activities similar to the February 9 event are curbed in the university rather than enjoying the publicity.

However, Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Sitaram Yechury earlier told ANI that Kanhaiya would campaign for the Left in Bengal.

"All students supporting Left will participate in the campaign along with Kanhaiya. For the first time, the nation can see the power of the youth of Left," Yechury said.