Speech made at Shaheen Bagh is seditious, says Sambit Patra

BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra on Saturday said that the speech made at Shaheen Bagh that "called for separating India with Assam and other northeastern states" was seditious.

Over month-long protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC) has been staged at Shaheen Bagh.

Speaking at a press conference, Patra said, "Finally the conspiracy to destroy the country came forth. There was a speech made at Shaheen Bagh which was seditious. The speech called for Assam to be separated from India and the responsibility for the same lies on Shaheen Bagh."

Patra said that the speech called for the northeast to be separated through 'Chicken Neck area' (an area which joins India with the rest of northeast region)

"As per the speech, the chicken neck area is Muslim Majority area and a time will come when it is to be cut so as to separate Assam from India," Patra said.

Patra further attacked Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi saying, "Both Kejriwal and Gandhi in 2016 went to JNU where Bharat Tere Tukde Honge slogan was raised."

In a video that has gone viral on social media, chief co-ordinator of Shaheen Bagh protest Sharjeel Imam can be heard saying: "Do you know what is happening to Assamese Muslims? NRC is already applied there, they have been put in detention centres. We may come to know that in 6-8 months all Bengalis have been killed - Hindu or Muslim. If we want to help Assam, then we will have to stop the way to Assam for the Indian Army and other supplies. The 'Chicken Neck' belongs to the Muslims."

"If we all come together, then we can separate the Northeast from India. If we cannot do it permanently, then at least for 1-2 months we can do this. It is our responsibility to cut Assam from India. When this happens, only then the government will listen to us," he is heard saying further in the video.