Sharjeel Imam starting speech with 'assalam-o-alaikum' shows it was meant for particular community: Prosecution to Delhi Court

While arguing in the sedition case against Sharjeel Imam connected to the Delhi Riots on Wednesday, the prosecution argued that the fact that Imam began one of his speeches with ‘assalam-o-alaikum’ showed that it was addressed to a particular community and not the public at large..Special Public Prosecutor Amit Prasad, appearing before Additional Sessions Judge Amitabh Rawat, contended that Imam’s speeches at Jamia Millia Islamia, and especially the one given at Aligarh Muslim University in January 2020, were meant for a particular community.While referring to Imam’s purported speech at Jamia, Prasad said, “He is not a small time pickpocket or drug peddler, whose conduct, or what he utters will not have a significance… He knows five languages; has excellent oratory skills. People will believe what he says. His speech has to be seen in that context.”.After reading the speech, Prasad pointed out, “Entire content focuses on two to three points. Speech was divisive. It wasn't a speech made for general public but a specific community. And he is attempting to create complete anarchy. I will read another speech from Jan 16, 2020 at Aligarh Muslim University.”For this speech, the prosecutor said that he Islamic greeting by Imam demonstrated that his speech was meant only for a particular community..He also alleged that Sharjeel urged the listeners to make productive use of their anger by saying, "Awam gusse me hain toh uska productive use karna hai.”.Earlier, Imam’s Advocate Tanveer Ahmed Mir had sought bail for his client saying the speeches had only called for protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and that cannot amount to sedition by any stretch of imagination in a democratic society..[Delhi Riots] If criticism dies, society will die: Sharjeel Imam seeks bail in sedition case.Mir submitted that Imam in his speeches had stated, 'Hum logo ko pathar nahi maarne; hum logo ko chot nahi pahuchani... hum logon ko kewal road block karna hai taaki government jo nahi maan rahi hai wo maanne ko tayiyar ho jaye (We don't have to resort to stone-pelting; or hurt anyone; we only have to block roads so that the government listens to what it is not listening to).The Delhi Police's chargesheet in the conspiracy case has alleged that Imam was the “mastermind” of the Shaheen Bagh blockade. It had also alleged that in the late afternoon of December 15, 2019, Imam, with the help of Jamia student Arshad Warsi and his accomplices, started a 24x7 permanent road block (chakka jam) of road number 13, Kalindi Kunj Road at Shaheen Bagh..[Read a live account of today's hearing]