Sharjeel Imam to contest as independent candidate in Bihar polls
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Activist Sharjeel Imam will run as an independent candidate in the Bihar Assembly elections, according to his lawyer, Ahmad Ibrahim. Imam is considering running in the Bahadurganj constituency in Kishanganj district.
The seat is presently held by Mohammad Anzar Nayeemi, who was elected in 2020 on an All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen ticket. Nayeemi has now joined the opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal.
Bihar is set to hold assembly elections in October or November. Imam has been in jail for over five years.
Sharjeel Imam was taken into custody in January 2020 for speeches delivered during anti-CAA and NRC protests in late 2019 and early 2020. His addresses in Delhi, Aligarh, Asansol, and Chakband allegedly provoked members of the Muslim community, which the police claim contributed to the outbreak of violence in North East Delhi in February 2020.
According to the chargesheet filed by the Delhi Police, his speeches were part of a broader plan that led to communal clashes, which erupted between supporters and opponents of the Citizenship Amendment Act, Scroll.in reported.
The unrest resulted in 53 deaths and hundreds of injuries. Authorities have alleged that the protests and the subsequent violence were orchestrated as part of a conspiracy to malign the Narendra Modi-led central government.
Imam is facing charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), along with various sections of the Indian Penal Code. These include accusations of sedition; promoting enmity between groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence; imputation, assertions prejudicial to national integration; and statements creating or promoting enmity, hatred or ill-will between classes.
Though he has received bail in multiple cases, the addition of new charges has continued to keep him in custody.
