NEW DELHI/GUWAHATI: Sharjeel Imam, one of the organisers of the Shaheen Bagh protest, who also claims to be a Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student, here on Saturday triggered a fresh row after a video of him calling a community to split North East from India went viral.
In the video, captured at Shaheen Bagh, Sharjeel can be seen calling to split North East from India to stop implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC).
The Assam Police registered an FIR under an anti-terror law against him for his alleged remarks.
Aligarh Police has also registered a case against Imam.
“We know how Muslims are being treated in Assam. We have to save people from the NRC. The only way to do it is by cutting North East from India,” Sharjeel is seen saying. He also went ahead to explain the strategy and urged a community to unite for the same.
“Agar hum 5 lakh bhi sath aa jaye to Assam ko, Northeast ko India se alag ker de. Agar permanently nahi to 1-2 mahine ke liye to kr hi denge,” (Even if 5 lakh of us come together, we can split Assam and North East from India. If not permanently, at least for one-two months,” Sharjeel could be seen addressing a group of protestors. “We would put so much debris on roads and rails that they would keep clearing the path”, Sharjeel told a cheering crowd.) “Phir uda lena airforce, (Then use the air force to reach North East),” Sharjeel added.
Sharjeel came to limelight when a private news channel aired his sting operation where he was seen claiming that Shaheen Bagh protest was his brainchild and was planned way before the Jamia police crackdown.
FIR lodged
Additional Director General of Assam Police G P Singh said the FIR was registered against Imam under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act at the crime branch police station in Guwahati.
“An FIR has been lodged against Sharjil Imam for his speech and inter alia commission of offence u/s 13 (1)/18 of the UA(P)ACT read with section 153 A, 153 B and 124 A IPC at Guwahati Crime Branch Police Station,” Singh tweeted along with the purported video of Imam’s speech. (Agencies)
