Three more FIRs against JNU student Sharjeel Imam for 'seditious' speech

Three more FIRs were filed against JNU student Sharjeel Imam for the 'seditious' speech he made while addressing anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protest at Aligarh Muslim University on January 16. It is to be noted that two sedition cases have already been filed by Assam and Uttar Pradesh against Imam.

The video of Imam's speech was released by BJP on Saturday (January 25) and in the video, he can be heard telling a small crowd that Muslims must get united and cut Assam from rest of India.

“If we have five lakh people with us, we can cut off the Northeast from India. If not permanently, for one or two months. Put rubble on tracks and roads…. Assam aur India katke alag ho jaaye, tabhi ye humari baat sunenge (Once Assam is cut off, then only they will listen to us)… We can do that because the Chicken’s Neck corridor (connecting Northeast to rest of India) is dominated by Muslims,” Imam had said.

On Sunday (January 26), Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu said that a sedition case was registered by Itanagar Crime Branch against Imam in connection with his speech at AMU.

“This kind of provocation inciting secession of Assam & other NEstates from rest of India, creating communal disharmony, hampering severeignty & territorial Integrity of India will not be tolerated. Crime branch Itanagar have registered Case no.2/2020 U/S124(A)/153(A)153(B) IPC,” Khandu tweeted.

The Manipur government has also filed an FIR in connection with this case. “Taking cognisance of the objectionable video of Mr Sharjeel Imam, in which he threatened to sever Northeast from the rest of country, the Manipur Police has filed an FIR (No. 16(1)2020 IPS) under sections 121/121-A/124-A/ 120-B /153 IPC,” tweeted Rajat Sethi, an advisor to Manipur CM.

Delhi Police Crime Branch also registered a case under Section 153 of the IPC (Wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot) against Imam. Imam was once an active volunteer at the Shaheen Bagh protest site but he ended his association with Shaheen Bagh protest on January 2 after the protesters refused to accept his call to end the ongoing anti-CAA protest.