Sharjeel Imam's arrest 'shameful', shows 'brute character' of govt: JNUSU

The Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) on Tuesday condemned the arrest of Sharjeel Imam and stated that his arrest is "shameful" and "shows the brute and draconian character" of the government.

Sharjeel, who stoked controversy with his "cut off Assam from India" remark, was arrested by a team of Delhi Police from Bihar's Jehanabad earlier in the day.

"The arrest of Sharjeel is shameful and shows the brute and draconian character of the state. The BJP-RSS wants to criminalise Muslims on an unprecedented scale through witchhunts and media trials. The arrest of JNU student Sharjeel Imam under draconian charges of sedition shows that Islamophobia, selective amnesia and bias matter more than anything for a state apparatus under control of RSS-BJP. BJP and RSS want to criminalise Muslims on an unprecedented scale," JNUSU said in a statement.

"Many organisations and individuals might have expressed their difference with his point of view but the alacrity shown by the Delhi Police and the JNU administration in this matter shows how brazenly hypocritical and one-sided they are," the statement read.

The JNUSU asserted that the arrest and "witch-hunting" of Sharjeel, his family members, and through him the entire Muslim community.

It also said this showed that the highlighting of his speech, as well as the arrests, are "politically motivated actions" with a view to criminalise the peaceful and democratic upsurge against the CAA, NRC, NPR and reap electoral dividends based on communal polarisation.

"While the Delhi Police have arrested Shajeel, the JNU administration in their characteristically shameful fashion, has served a student witch-hunted by the state with a proctorial notice. If the JNU administration is so enamoured of media narratives than perhaps it could have served notices to Akshat Awasthi, Anima Sonkar and other ABVP activists who have admitted on camera about their role in JNU attack on January 5," JNUSU said.

"The police has not yet converted the complaints of students and teachers grievously injured and attacked by ABVP hoodlums into any FIR and no one has been arrested despite the incidents of 5th January creating a national outrage," the students' union added.

Meanwhile, the Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers Association (JNUTA) has expressed its concern at the arrest of Sharjeel.

"The JNUTA notes that while there may be considerable scope for disagreement with the remarks allegedly made by the student, it has been persuasively argued by legal experts that these remarks do not warrant a charge of sedition and there are other reasons behind the sedition law being invoked," JNUTA said in a statement.

"The urgency which the Delhi Police has shown in the case of Sharjeel Imam has also been conspicuous by its absence when it comes to bringing the culprits of January 5 criminal violence in JNU to book," JNUTA added.

A Jehanabad court has granted Delhi Police transit remand for Sharjeel. He was brought to the court after he was arrested by the police.

A civil surgeon also reached the court for Sharjeel's medical examination.