Sharjeel Imam Arrest: ‘His Words More Dangerous Than Kanhaiya Kumar’s,’ Says Amit Shah

Imam, who has three separate sedition cases booked against him, was arrested from Bihar's Jehanabad by the Delhi Police. In a now-infamous speech at AMU on January 16, he had threatened to 'cut-off' Assam from the rest of India.

New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday lashed out at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student Sharjeel Imam, who was arrested today for an ‘inflammatory’ speech that he gave earlier this month, calling him even more dangerous than former JNU Students’ Union (JNUSU) president Kanhaiya Kumar.

Sharjeel, also an alumnus of IIT-Bombay, was arrested in Bihar’s Jehanabad by the crime branch of the Delhi Police in co-operation with the state police.

Speaking at an event in Chhatisgarh’s capital Raipur, Shah commented on his arrest, saying, “Watch Sharjeel’s video, listen to his speech, he has spoken more dangerous words than Kanhaiya Kumar. Today Delhi Police has arrested him and he is being brought to Delhi.”

“He will be lodged in jail,” the Home Minister added.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Raipur: Watch Sharjeel's video, listen to his speech, he has spoken more dangerous words than Kanhaiya Kumar. Today Delhi Police has arrested him and he is being brought to Delhi. He (Sharjeel Imam) will be lodged in jail. pic.twitter.com/eQMlO7b6wp

— ANI (@ANI) January 28, 2020

Three FIRs for sedition were filed against Sharjeel for a speech that he gave at Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) on January 16, calling upon ‘five lakh Muslims’ to ‘cut-off’ Assam from the rest of India by blocking ‘Chicken’s Neck’-a 22-km stretch in West Bengal which connects the northeast with the rest of India.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had also commented on his arrest, saying that while protesting is one thing, nobody can talk about country’s disintegration. His family, however, has accused the police of harassing him and have alleged that the media has twisted his speech out of context.