Pune: AMU alumnus Sharjeel Usmani booked over Elgar Parishad speech
03-February-2021

The Pune City Police on Tuesday filed an FIR against former Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) student Sharjeel Usmani in connection with a speech he delivered at an Elgar Parishad event. The Elgar Parishad conclave took place in the city on January 30 this year.

Pune police commissioner Amitabh Gupta siad that a case under section 153 (A) of the IPC (promoting enmity between different groups on the ground religion, etc) was registered against him.

Pradip Gavade, a local leader of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, BJP's youth wing, had filed a complaintwith Swargate police station against Usmani. Gawade accused Sharjeel of hurting religious sentiments and using objectionable words against a particular community. Further investigation is underway, Gupta added.

Sharjeel had addressed the Elgar Parishad event organised at Pune's Ganesh Kala Krida Manch on January 30. Soon after, a video of him allegedly using objectionable words against the Hindu community went viral. Noted writer Arundhati Roy, Justice (retd) BG Kolse Patil and former IPS official S M Mushrif and others had also addressed the conclave.

Three years ago, several Left-leaning activists were arrested by the police for alleged naxal links following the December 2017 Elgar Parishad conclave and the caste violence at Bhima Koregaon war memorial the next day.

Meanwhile, BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis had demanded action against Usmani, alleging that he "insulted sentiments of the Hindu community". He has also written a letter to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray asking him to take action against the AMU alumnus.

"A person comes in Maharashtra, insults sentiments, and returns to his home state without facing any legal action. If the state government fails to take any action against him, then we will assume that the government is behind Usmani," Fadnavis said.