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I request...: jailed Kerala journalist Siddique Kappan's daughter in her I-day speech

Siddique Kappan, a Malayalam news portal reporter, has been imprisoned in Uttar Pradesh since October 5, 2020. He was stopped on his way to report an alleged gang rape of a 19-year-old Dalit woman.
 

I request...: jailed Kerala journalist Siddique Kappan's daughter in her I-day speech - adt
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New Delhi, First Published Aug 17, 2022, 4:01 PM IST

Mehnaz Kappan, the nine-year-old daughter of an imprisoned Kerala journalist Siddique Kappan, delivered a speech on Independence Day. In her speech, she said that her father was being left to 'languish in jail by being denied the basic civil rights available to all Indian citizens.' Her father has been in prison for over 600 days.

Mehnaz, the youngest of Siddique's three children, stated that as the country celebrates its 76th year of independence, the "freedom of ordinary citizens" should not be restricted. "Every Indian has the right to resist or oppose those who ask them to leave; they have the right to choose what to say, eat, or practise," she said in her speech. She added all of this was possible due to the struggles and sacrifices of freedom fighters such as Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Bhagat Singh, and countless others.

"In memory of all those freedom fighters," she said, "my request is not to take away the freedom and rights of ordinary citizens."

The school leader of GLP School in Malappuram, Mehnaz, began her speech with 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' and stated that 'we should never surrender the dignity of our country, which was resurrected on August 15'.

"Even the shadow of unrest should be extinguished. We all should live as one and try to take India to the top." She stated that we should imagine a better tomorrow, free of differences and conflicts.

Siddique, a Malayalam news portal reporter, has been imprisoned in Uttar Pradesh since October 5, 2020. He was arrested while on his way to report the alleged gang rape of a 19-year-old Dalit woman. Police claimed he was associated with the Popular Front of India (PFI) and attempted to disrupt the law and order situation in Hathras.

The Allahabad High Court's Lucknow bench recently denied Siddique's bail application. A Mathura court had previously denied his bail application. Siddique and others have been charged with sedition, among others, under various sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

Also Read: SC orders UP government to shift Kerala journalist Siddique Kappan to Delhi for COVID treatment

Also Read: Supreme Court directs UP government to produce medical records of journalist Siddique Kappan tomorrow
 

Also Read: SC grants five-day interim bail to journalist Siddique Kappan to meet his ailing mother in Kerala
 

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