Amid the growing controversy involving former Jawaharlal Nehru University student Sharjeel Imam and widespread condemnation for allegedly delivering an inflammatory speech, eminent litterateur Hiren Gohain said that the latter has not committed any crime and that his remarks are personal and delivered out of emotions.
“The statements are personal and made out of emotions. Documenting someone anti-national based on a sentence is wrong and unlawful. Even the Supreme Court says that a sedition case can be filed if a person takes steps to fulfil his provocative remarks and triggers a clash,” Gohain said while speaking with TIME8.
He continued, “Obviously his statements have had a massive reaction and a number of organizations across the country have not accepted it well.”
It may be mentioned that the alleged mastermind of Shaheen Bagh protest came to limelight on January 25th, 2020 after the video footage went viral of his speech where he was heard as saying that Assam, Northeast should be cut off from the rest of India.
In the shocking video shared by BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra, Imam is seen making controversial statements saying that Muslims are in such numbers that they can cut out the entire Northeast from the rest of India “if not permanently than maybe for few months”. In the video, addressing the protesters at Shaheen Bagh, Imam is heard saying that their aim is to “alienate” Assam and Northeast from India.
Meanwhile, several FIRs have been lodged against Imam in Delhi, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur. The Delhi police are carrying out raids at Bihar to nab Imam.
Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu took to the microblogging site Twitter and wrote, “Crime branch Itanagar have registered Case no.2/2020 U/S124(A)/153(A)153(B) IPC.” Sharing the controversial video from one social media user, Khandu further wrote, “This kind of provocation inciting secession of Assam & other NE states from rest of India, creating communal disharmony, hampering severeignty & territorial Integrity of India will not be tolerated.”
Earlier Assam’s Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the “seditious” statement was made to create a law and order situation in the state.
Shaheen Bagh protest
The Shaheen Bagh protest, on now for more than a month, has made it to the headlines due to its unique nature. More than 5,000 women, men and children are staging a sit-in at the Mansoor Ali Khan Park to voice their dissent against the Citizenship Amendment Act, National Register of Citizens and National Population Register.
Photo Credit: Google(L), @SharjeelImam(R)
