Et tu, Bibi? I knew that you wouldn’t be able to restrain yourself. Good that you brought into open your “secular” thoughts and “patriotic” sentiments. In your fanatic rage, you have likened me to Ujjwal Nikam, and Sharjeel Imam to Ajmal Kasab. You drew this parallel, not I—your inner thoughts and your moral compass, not mine. You seem to imply that Kasab was innocent, and the State framed him. Bravo, Bibi, bravo. By the way, then, the State was run by those whose dethronement has left you inconsolable. Like many others of your ilk, you are also drawing into discussion an unrelated individual. I hope that he sues you for malicious and insidious doxing. Look, an interview was published. It was hailed by the likes of you as a document—a veritable manifesto—of liberation of Muslims from the slavery of Hindus. It lambasted the liberal class (aren’t you one of them?) for being no different from the Hindu right wing. It called the Constitution (the book that the likes of you have lately become fond of waving) a fascist document, and condemned Nehru for myth making about India’s nationhood. Sharjeel had earlier called Gandhi the greatest fascist of the 20th century. Being a liberal, you should have been up in arms against the contents of this interview. The whole liberal establishment should have been on its feet. But, no. Pin drop silence. Omertà. A hush-hush celebration of what he said. (Since you wish him to be enlarged on bail early, do you think that The Quint did the right thing by publishing such a contentious piece, and that Sharjeel Imam acted in his own best interest by giving this interview?) You expected that interview to go unchallenged. Your grouse against me is for calling out the liberal-Islamist alliance for its telling silence. I had to do what the leading lights of liberals should have done. I argued for the Constitution, for Gandhi and Nehru, and for liberalism and secularism. If you actually believed in these ideals shouldn’t you be thankful to me? By the way, what’s your complaint against me besides my pen-name? Being a liberal-secular person where and why do you disagree with my essay? I know, you disagree with its very existence. But then, you shouldn’t you have voiced your opposition to the publication of the said “interview” itself? But you happily lapped it up. Come, say openly that you didn’t want a counter to that. If not, could you please tell me what’s your precise criticism of my piece? Have I misquoted Sharjeel? Have I made a tendentious selection from his speeches and writings, and reproduced them out of context so that they convey meanings other than intended? Have I misinterpreted and misunderstood him? Ghazala, I will wait for you to write a full scale critique of my piece. Rip me apart, if you have the intellectual wherewithal and moral clarity for that. If not, keep hiding behind my pseudonym.