Amidst widespread anger against former student leader and Newslaundry columnist Sharjeel Usmani over his hate speech against Hindus, Pune Police have booked a case against him on Tuesday for ‘promoting enmity between different groups’.
According to the reports, a case has been registered against Sharjeel Usmani under IPC section 153 (A) for promoting enmity between different groups on the ground religion, said Pune police commissioner Amitabh Gupta.
The case was registered against Usmani based on a complaint lodged by a local BJP leader Pradip Gavade.
We’ve requested police to also lodge a case against him u/s 124-A, IPC as he clearly stated he didn’t believe in Indian state, Parliament & judiciary. We also said a case should be lodged against the organisers of Elgar Parishad: Pradip Gawade, complainant in FIR against Usmani https://t.co/DfvDhp3Qpj pic.twitter.com/ek1t95tcVO
— ANI (@ANI) February 2, 2021
“We have requested the police to also lodge a case against him under section 124-A, IPC as he clearly stated he didn’t believe in the Indian state, Parliament and judiciary. We also said a case should be lodged against the organisers of Elgar Parishad,” the complainant said.
Sharjeel Usmani’s hate speech against Hindus
Usmani, who has a history of fomenting trouble against communities by making hate speech, has been at the eye of the storm over his hate speech at the Elgar Parishad event in Pune. The former student leader had addressed a gathering of around 500 people in the second edition of Elgar Parishad on 30th January 2021 at Ganesh Kala Krida Manch, where he used defamatory language against the Hindu community.
Delivering a venomous speech targeting Hindus, Usmani had said that the ‘Hindu Samaj’ of today is “rotten” to the core. He also spoke about the Yogi Government in Uttar Pradesh and accused his administration of murdering 19 people every day in encounters in one year and all of them were either Muslims or Dalits.
Chk his thoughts abt Hindus..
— आलू बोंडा (@ek_aalu_bonda) January 30, 2021
“आज के हिंदुस्तान का हिंदू समाज पुरी तरह सड चूका है” pic.twitter.com/I1c2H6rfNc
Usmani, who has written columns for Newslaundry in the past, does not provide evidence for his claims that appear demonstrably false.
Elgar Parishad was organized by Bhima Koregaon Shaurya Din Prerna Abhiyan, an umbrella organization of 250 Dalit organizations. It was first held in 2018 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Bhima-Koregaon of 1818. The conclave resulted in violent clashes at Bhima-Koregaon village.
During the second edition of the Elgar Parishad, several speakers, including Sharjeel Usmani, Arundhati Roy and Prashant Kanojia, used the stage to spread Hinduphobia. While Usmani called the Hindu community rotten, Arundhati Roy happily threw Gaurmutra jibes to mock Hindus.
BJP leaders demanded arrest of Usmani
Following the controversial event, several BJP leaders from Maharashtra had demanded Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra government to take action against Sharjeel Usmani for his Hinduphobic speech at Elgar Parishad in Pune.
Former Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis had alleged that Sharjeel Usmani had insulted sentiments of Hindus during his speech at the Elgar Parishad conclave held recently in Pune, and demanded strict action against him.