New Delhi [India], January 5 : Delhi Minister Ashish Sood has slammed "shameful" political leaders who had shared the stage with Sharjeel Imam, whose bail plea in the 2020 Delhi riots larger conspiracy case was rejected by the Supreme Court on Monday. He also demanded an apology from the leaders.
"It is shameful that various leaders of the legislative assembly shared the stage with Sharjeel Imam. They all should apologise to the nation," the Delhi Minister told ANI.
Sood alleged that Sharjeel Imam had conspired against the country and questioned how any political leader could justify sharing a platform with him.
"Sharjeel Imam has conspired to break this country. The way the Supreme Court's decision is being discussed in the context of his bail, it is unfortunate that some people of the assembly have also shared the stage with Sharjeel Imam," he said.
He further asserted that those leaders and their respective political parties owed the public an explanation. "All of them and their parties should apologise to the people of the country and Delhi," Sood said.
Drawing a distinction between democratic dissent and acts he described as "anti-national", the minister said opposition to the government or its policies was legitimate, but anything that threatened the country's unity was unacceptable.
"You may be allowed to oppose the government. You may be allowed to oppose the head of the government. You may be allowed to oppose the policies of the government. But how can anyone allow you to break India?" he asked.
Referring to controversial remarks attributed to Sharjeel Imam, Sood said, "How can anyone allow you to say that I will cut off the North East by crushing the chicken neck? This is a condemnation."
He reiterated that leaders who had shared the stage with Sharjeel Imam must be held accountable. "And the people who shared the stage with him, the leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party, they should apologise," he said.
Earlier in the day, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla also demanded an apology from the Congress party for "defending" 2020 north-east Delhi riots accused Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam after the Supreme Court rejected the bail plea of the duo.
Poonawalla claimed that SC's observation shows that the Delhi riots were not organic but "organised and sponsored."
"Today we would say Satyamev Jayate. The Supreme Court has denied bail to the poster boys of the 'Tukde Tukde Gang', Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam, whose role in the Delhi riots and charges against UAPA have been prima facie found to be true. It shows that the Delhi riots were not organic but organised, not spontaneous but sponsored. Unfortunately, the Congress Party continued to defend Sharjeel and Umar. These people who wanted to cut and dissect India into pieces. Today they must apologise. The Congress Party and its ecosystem must apologise today," he told ANI.
The Supreme Court on Monday denied bail to Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in a case about an alleged larger conspiracy behind the 2020 north-east Delhi riots.
However, the SC granted bail to Gulfisha Fatima, Meeran Haider, Shifa Ur Rehman, and Mohd. Saleem Khan and Shadab Ahmad.
The Court noted that Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam stand on a "qualitatively different footing" in both the prosecution and the evidence.