File photo | Photo Credit: PTI

New Delhi: Days after they were invited to participate in an event to commemorate the 72nd death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, names of Kanhaiya Kumar and Shehla Rashid, have been struck off from the invite by the Congress party. The event organised by the minority cell of the Congress party will now feature Congress leader Manish Tewari, Priyanka Chaturvedi and Rajya Sabha MP KTS Tulsi. Hours later, the left invited the duo — that has been slapped with sedition charges by the Delhi Police for shouting anti-India slogans at the Jawaharlal Nehru University — to attend a rally in West Bengal- Times Now channel reported.

Commenting on Congress' decision to withdraw names of Kumar and Rashid, Rajya Sabha MP KTS Tulsi said, "I don’t agree with Congress’ move." Commenting on the development, the BJP accused the Congress party of 'doublespeak'. Party spokesperson Sambit Patra alleged that Rahul Gandhi met the Chinese envoy when the country was facing the Doklam crisis and neglecting national security.

​On January 14, Delhi Police had filed a charge sheet against Kanhaiya Kumar, Former President of JNU Students' Union, Umar Khalid and others for organising a program in support of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru in 2016. The police, in a charge sheet, filed over three years after the event, have slapped sedition charges against Kumar and others. While Khalid, Kanhaiya Kumar and Anirban Bhattacharya were arrested following the event held within JNU campus, they were released later on bail. The Congress party, including its president Rahul Gandhi, had participated in a protest condemning the arrests of the JNU students. On Monday, the party withdrew the names of Kumar and Rashid fearing a political backlash.