The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Leaders of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis (Assembly) and Pravin Darekar (Council) had demanded that Usmani should be booked under sedition charges for his remarks.
By Muslim Mirror Staff
New Delhi: Amid a political uproar, the Maharashtra Police has booked Muslim activist Sharjeel Usmani in connection with his speech at the Elgar Parishad held in Pune on 30 January.
The Swargate Police Station early this morning filed a First Information Report (FIR) based on a complaint by a Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha Secretary, Advocate Pradeep Gawade on Tuesday.
Speaking at the Elgar Parishad held here on January 30, Usmani, a former student leader of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) had made certain remarks which the complainant said hurt the religious sentiments of the Hindu community.
Among other things, Usmani said: “Aaj ka Hindu Samaja Hindustan mein Hindu Samaj buri tarike se sadd chukka hai (The Hindu community has badly degenerated in today’s India)”, sparking off a furore in political circles.
https://twitter.com/imMAK02/status/1356940870780555265
Taking strong umbrage at these remarks, the complainant lodged the complaint following which the Swargate Police registered the FIR invoking the Indian Penal Code Sec. 153(A), which concerns offences related to spreading communal hatred.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Leaders of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis (Assembly) and Pravin Darekar (Council) had demanded that Usmani should be booked under sedition charges for his remarks.
The BJP also warned in an ultimatum that if no action was taken against Usmani within 48 hrs, the party would launch a statewide agitation.
State Food & Civil Supplies Minister Chhagan Bhujbal had slammed Usmani’s remarks while Home Minister Anil Deshmukh had assured that if anything objectionable was found in the student activist’s utterances, suitable action would be taken.
Usmani has formerly been targeted and incarcerated by the Uttar Pradesh Police for actively speaking against the BJP-led Hindu right wing government and raising issues related to the persecution of Indian Muslims.
The annual Elgar Parishad was organized by the Bhima-Koregaon Shaurya Din Prerana Abhiyan, on Jan. 30, to coincide with the 5th death anniversary of the late Dalit scholar from University of Hyderabad, Rohith Vemula, who committed suicide on January 17, 2016.
Others who attended or addressed the conference this year included Arundhati Roy, ex-IAS officer Kannan Gopinathan, ex-Judge B. G. Kolse-Patil, retired IPS officer S.M. Mushrif.
(With inputs from IANS)
Double standards galore.. what about action on Hindu fanatics
Sharjeel is very lucky that he lives in India where he can dare to give such abusive speech. Can you try giving such speech in Islamic country against muslim community? Hindus are much tolerant than muslims in all aspects.