Mumbai: Maharashtra state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Chandrakant Patil has written a letter to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath demanding action against Sharjeel Usmani over his provocative speech at Pune's Elgaar Praishaad conclave, which was held recently.
Patil has accused Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray for not taking any action even after five days over Sharjeel's controversial statement, which has hurt sentiments of Hindu community people.
According to the Maharashtra BJP President, Sharjeel had outraged the sentiments of Hindu community people not just living in Maharashtra state but in the entire country. Spreading hatred against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and on the Constitution of India should be labelled for sedition, he said.
Sharjeel Usmani is an alumnus of the Aligarh Musilim University (AMU). Patil has asked Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to file a criminal case against Usmani at a police station in his state. Furthermore, Patil has also suggested that strict action be taken against Sharjeel so that neither such 'hate speech' is ever be made again by anyone nor may anyone be inspired by it.
Reportedly, Pune's Swargat Police Station had filed a case against Sharjeel under Section 153 (A) of the IPC (promoting enmity between different groups on the ground religion, etc) after a local BJP politician, Pradip Gavade, had filed a complaint.
The Elgaar Parishad conclave took place in the city on January 30, 2021.
The gathering was also addressed by writer Arundhati Roy, Justice (retd) BG Kolse Patil and former IPS official SM Mushrif, among others.
Three years ago, several Left-wing activists were arrested by the police for their alleged Naxal links, following the December 2017 Elgaar Parishad conclave and the caste violence at the Bhima-Koregaon war memorial the next day.
