The Assam Police on Saturday registered an FIR under an anti-terror law against activist Sharjil Imam, who came to limelight during the ongoing protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act in Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh, for his alleged remarks threatening to “cut-off” the state from rest of India.
Additional Director General of Assam Police GP Singh said the FIR was registered against Imam under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act at the crime branch police station in Guwahati.
“An FIR has been lodged against Sharjil Imam for his speech and inter alia commission of offence u/s 13 (1)/18 of the UA(P)ACT read with section 153 A, 153 B and 124 A IPC at Guwahati Crime Branch Police Station,” Singh tweeted along with the purported video of Imam’s speech.
Imam was heard telling in the audio clip that Assam should be cut-off from the rest of India as Bengalis — both Hindus and Muslims — are being killed or put into detention centres.
Earlier, Assam Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the Assam government would register a case against Imam his “seditious” comment “aimed” at disrupting law and order in the state.
“Assam government has taken cognisance of this very seditious statement and we will register a case against this individual,” Sarma said.
Union minister Ramdas Athawale, too, said that Assam and Northeast are integral parts of India and cannot be separated from the country.
“Assam and Northeast are an integral part of India. Government of India has tried to make North-east strong. If anyone tries to separate North-east from India then we will not spare them. Government is trying to do maximum development there. There are Muslims, tribals, Hindus, Dalits and Buddhists living there and we respect them. Terming the North-East a Muslim area is not right,” Athawale was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
