Lucknow: A case has now been registered against student leader Sharjeel Usmani at the Hazratganj police station in Lucknow in connection with his speech at Elgar Parishad 2021, in Pune, Maharashtra.
The FIR has been lodged by one Anurag Singh over the video of Usmani's speech which was posted on YouTube. The complainant alleged that the speaker was inciting hate against the Yogi Adithyanath government and promoting enmity among groups.
On the basis of this complaint, a case under 124A, 153A, 153A (2), 153B (1) (C), 295A, 298, 504, 505 (1) (B) and 505 (2) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and IT Act has been registered, police said.
Usmani had attended 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 and demand for stern action against him was raised.
The Maharashtra police have also registered a case against Usmani, a former student of Aligarh Muslim University, in connection with the speech.
The Elgaar Parishad was organised in Pune on January 30 by Bhima Koregaon Shaurya Din Prerna Abhiyaan on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Rohit Vemula. The Parishad has become a prominent event for the last three years after the Maharashtra Police accused its organisers – a coalition of 250 anti-caste and human rights organisations – of allegedly instigating violence in Pune's Bhima Koregaon area on January 1, 2018.
Besides Usmani, other key speakers at the Parishad this year included author Arundhati Roy, former IAS officer Kannan Gopinathan, journalist Prashant Kanojia, Dalit activist Satyabhama Suryawanshi, student activist Aysha Renna, family members of Payal Tadvi, Sanjiv Bhatt and Rohit Vemula, retired High Court judge BG Kolse Patil and retired Indian Police Services officer SM Mushrif, among others.