Shiv Sena says will handcuff Sharjeel Usmani after BJP demands action against AMU alumni for controversial speech

The Bharatiya Janata Party has asked for strict action against Sharjeel Usmani, who allegedly delivered a controversial speech at the Elgaar Parishad event in Pune on January 30. Responding to BJP’s concern, Shiv Sena has penned down an editorial, in Saamana, stating that Sharjeel will be handcuffed.

Sharjeel Usmani at the Elgaar Parishad event in Pune on January 30.

Maharashtra: The political environment in Maharashtra is getting intensified day by day as Shiv Sena and BJP stay determined to take action against the former Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) student Sharijil Usmani. In the latest turn of events, Shiv Sena, in its mouthpiece ''Saamna'', labelled Usmani ‘lustful’ and his controversial speech ‘rubbish’. 

The Bharatiya Janata Party has asked for strict action against Sharjeel Usmani, who had allegedly delivered a controversial speech at the Elgaar Parishad event in Pune on January 30. Responding to BJP’s concern, Shiv Sena mentioned in an editorial in 'Saamana' that Sharjeel will be handcuffed. 

The Saamana editorial read, "A lustful named Sharijil Usmani has come to Maharashtra and done some nonsense. Maharashtra will not tolerate the language it has used in the name of Hindutva. A group called 'Elgar' is assembled in Pune, the work of provoking from its platform is called Elgar, but the work is to play anti-Hindutva. There came a young man named Sharjeel Usmani and he preached on the subject that the Hindutva of our country is rotten. Everything Usmani has said is serious.”

BJP MLA Ram Kadam has threatened to protest against the AMU alumni if the state government takes no action against him. He said, "Three days have passed, but no action has been taken against the leaders of Elgar Parishad till now, who insulted the Hindu religion and the Hindu society. The Maharashtra government is trying to save them...If the government does not take any action in the next 48 hours, we will have to get out on the streets and agitate as Hindu society will not tolerate insult."

A complaint has also been filed by an individual, named Anuraj Singh, emphasising on Sharijil’s usage of provocative words in his speech, which, he believes, defamed the image of the Hindu community. 

A BJP delegate had met Pune Police Commissioner Amitabh Gupta and demanded to add 'sedition' charges against Usmani in FIR for making serious allegations against the working of the CM Yogi’s Uttar Pradesh government. In his speech, Sharjeel alleged that the UP police conduct daily encounters and most of the people killed in these planned encounters are either Muslims or Dalits.