Sedition case against JNU student leader for speech in AMU campus

A case of sedition was lodged against a JNU student leader here on Saturday for a speech he delivered on the AMU campus on January 16 against the amended citizenship act and NRC, police said.

"A video clip of this speech was circulating on social media since Friday night and subsequent probe, including inputs from AMU authorities, confirmed that it pertained to a speech, containing subversive comments, that was delivered when Sharjeel Imam was addressing a protest rally at AMU," Senior Superintendent of Police Akash Kulhari said.

Kulhari said that a police team has left for New Delhi to arrest the student leader.

When contacted, AMU spokesman Professor Shafey Kidwai said that the contents of the video include some comments which are "highly objectionable" and university authorities are taking this matter very seriously.

He said the authorities will write a letter to the police to take strong action in this matter.

"We have zero tolerance for any activity which can in any way come under the category of anti-national activity. On January 10, we had written to the state government requesting them to keep a strict vigil on any external element who may infiltrate the ranks of our students who are holding a dharna at the Baab-e-Syed gate against the amended citizenship act," Kidwai said.

"We have also issued strict directives to our security staff to be extra careful about the identity of any external element who can infiltrate the campus and try to instigate trouble," he added.

Kidwai said that it was also in the broader interest of the student leadership at AMU to ensure that no such mischievous element is given any sort of space inside the campus as it would reflect on them as well.