FIR against former JNU student for his Assam remark

Assam Police on Saturday registered an FIR against former JNU student Sharjeel Imam for his alleged statement that Muslims are in such numbers that they could cut off the entire Northeast from the rest of India.

"An FIR has been lodged against Sharjeel Imam for his speech and inter alia commission of offence under Sections 13 (1) and 18 of the UA (P) ACT read with Section 153A, 153B, and 124A of Indian Penal Code at Guwahati Crime Branch Police Station," said GP Singh, Additional Director General of Police, Law and Order, at a press conference here.

A series of videos have gone viral on social media in which Imam, the chief co-ordinator of Shaheen Bagh protest, is heard saying: "If we all come together, then we can separate the Northeast from India. If we cannot do it for permanently, then at least for 1-2 months we can do this. It will take the administration at least one month to disperse all of them."

"It is our responsibility to cut Assam from India. When this will happen, only then the Centre will listen to us," he is heard further saying in the videos.

Responding to this, Assam Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had said the state government has taken cognizance of this seditious statement and has decided to register a case against him.

Vivek Garg, an advocate and RTI activist, has filed a complaint to register an FIR under relevant sections of IPC and the National Security Act against Imam.