Fadnavis seeks action on ex-AMU student neta Usmani for 'anti-Hindu' speech at Elgar event

Taking offence to ex-AMU student leader Sharjeel Usmani's speech at the Elgar Parishad event held on 30 January 2021, ex-CM Devendra Fadnavis on Monday, wrote to CM Uddhav Thackeray seeking immediate action against him. Quoting Usmani's remarks that 'Hindus were killing people one day, taking bath and killing again the next day', Fadnavis highlighted the seriousness of his statements. Reminding how Elgar Parishad had incited the Bhima Koregaon riots in 2018, he urged the government to take stern action as such statements in the 'Hindu-swarajya established Maharashtra' were not acceptable.

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Sharjeel Usmani's controversial speech

Held at Pune, the Elgar Parishad event had several attendees like writer Arundhati Roy, journalist Prashant Kanojia, ex-AMU student leader Sharjeel Usmani, IAS officer Kannan Gopinathan to name a few, who addressed the gathering on 30 January 2021. In his speech, Usmani, while talking about lynchings had alleged that those Hindus involved in lynching, 'killed people', then lived their lives normally, before killing again. Moreover, he also alleged that the 'Hindu society had become rotten to the core today', while elaborating about the lynchings in Uttar Pradesh. Pune police had not allowed to hold the event on December 31, amid the NIA probe.

"Today's Hindu society has become rotten totally. Nowadays there is no reason needed - You are a Muslim, we will kill you. Non-veg is being eaten - be it chicken, goat, or beef, doesn't matter - we will kill you. While travelling in train - you are giving seat or asking for a seat - we will kill you. Theft of cattle worth Rs 2000, a life will be taken," said Usmani at the event. The ex-AMU leader was arrested by Uttar Pradesh police last year in the anti-CAA clashes which happened at Aligarh between AMU students and UP police.

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Elgar Parishad probe

Pune police booked activists Sudha Bharadwaj, Arun Ferreira, Vernon Gonsalves, Surendra Gadling, Sudhir Dhawale, P Varavara Rao, Gautam Navlakha, Anand Teltumbde for allegedly inciting the Bhima Koregaon violence through their speech at the Elgar Parishad meeting on December 31, 2017, under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). On the following day - January 1, 2018, violence had erupted at Koregaon-Bhima village in Pune district where supporters had gathered in the village to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Bhima Koregaon. The ensuing violence had resulted in the death of one person and several others had been injured - 152 have been arrested. The probe has now been handed over to NIA which has charged 11 people under the provisions of the anti-terror law UAPA and several IPC sections. 

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