Sena Says Sharjeel Usmani Will be Arrested; Slams Fadnavis, Yogi

The Shiv Sena assured that Sharjeel Usmani will be arrested for alleged anti-Hindu speech at Elgar Parishad.

File photo of Sharjeel Usmani.

(Image: Altered by The Quint)

As controversy over student activist Sharjeel Usmani’s allegedly inflammatory and anti-Hindu speech at the Elgar Parishad gathering takes political strides in Maharashtra, the Shiv Sena has assured that he will be arrested ‘even if he hides in purgatory’. The Shiv Sena questioned the BJP over its claims of protecting Hindutva, while several Hindu and Sikh farmers are protesting in Delhi.

Taking to its mouthpiece Saamana, the editorial ‘Saamana Agralekh’ targetted Usmani while saying that his roots come from Yogi Adityanath’s Uttar Pradesh.

WHAT THE SAAMANA EDITORIAL SAID

The editorial said that the ones who organised the Elgar Parishad event will be held accountable, but Opposition leader Devendra Fadnavis should not throw as many tantrums.

“A brat called Sharjeel Usmani came to Maharashtra and blabbered something. The language used by him against Hindutva will not be tolerated by the state. The ‘Elgar’ gathering that takes place in Pune does noting but host provocative speeches,” the editorial read.

“A man called Sharjeel Usmani came to Maharashtra and gave a speech on how India’s Hindutva is rotting. The BJP has started making noise about it and threatened to take to the streets,” adding that the Sena echoes his sentiment but Fadnavis does not need to throw tantrums over it.

The editorial asked what the BJP planned to do about the Hindu and Sikh farmers who were protesting on the streets of Delhi for over 70 days.

"You have cut water and electricity for them. You have laid a blanket of nails before them. Is this your way of honouring Hindu farmers? It will be better if you start taking care of the insult of Hindutva happening there,” the editorial read.

While Sena slammed the Elgar Parishad for allegedly organising provocative gatherings against Hindutva, it also questioned the responsibility of the Yogi government in Uttar Pradesh to hand him over to Maharashtra authorities.

“The ones who organised the Elgar Parishad and invited Sharjeel to speak should be dealt with strictly. In the garb of Elgar parishad, inviting people like Sharjeel and polluting the environment is their primary business,” it said.

“The strings of people like Sharjeel will always be traced back to Uttar Pradesh. He is currently absconding and hiding in Aligarh. The Maharashtra police will definitely go to Aligarh and arrest him, but anti-Hindu people like him come from UP and spread in the entire country,” it said, adding that even the Yogi Adityanath government should responsibly hand him over to the Maharashtra authorities.

WHY IS SHARJEEL USMANI BEING SOUGHT?

Speaking at the Elgar Parishad held here on 30 January, Usmani, a former student leader of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) had made certain remarks that the complainant said hurt the religious sentiments of the Hindu community, IANS reported.

The Maharashtra Police has booked Usmani for his alleged anti-Hindu comments and inciting communal passions.

The First Information Report (FIR) was filed at the Swargate Police Station on 3 February, based on a complaint by a Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha Secretary, advocate Pradeep Gawade.

Fadnavis had demanded that Usmani be booked under sedition charges for his statements. The BJP also warned in an ultimatum, that if no action was taken against Usmani within 48 hrs, the party would launch a state-wide agitation.

Home Minister Anil Deshmukh had assured that if anything objectionable was found in the student activist's utterances, suitable action would be taken.

The annual Elgar Parishad was organised by the Bhima-Koregaon Shaurya Din Prerana Abhiyan, on 30 January, to coincide with the 5th death anniversary of the late Dalit scholar from University of Hyderabad, Rohith Vemula, who committed suicide on 17 January, 2016.

Others who attended the conference included Arundhati Roy, ex-IAS officer Kannan Gopinathan, ex-Judge BG Kolse-Patil, retired IPS officer SM Mushrif.