Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has demanded action against Sharjeel Usmani, a former student leader, for allegedly defaming the Hindu community during his address at the Elgar Parishad conclave in Pune on Saturday.
According to the BJP, Usmani allegedly made defamatory remarks while addressing a gathering of 500 people at the second edition of the Elgar Parishad conclave. (Twitter)
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According to the BJP, Usmani allegedly made defamatory remarks while addressing a gathering of 500 people at the second edition of the conclave at Ganesh Kala Krida Manch.
BJP’s state unit spokesperson Keshav Upadhye said that chief minister Uddhav Thackeray would either take action against Usmani or continue his rhetoric that his party Shiv Sena has not left Hindutva.
“Will the CM take action against him or continue with his rhetoric that they have not left Hindutva. State home minister Anil Deshmukh should take action against him,” Upadhye said objecting to Usmani’s comment.
The Elgar Parishad conclave was organised by Bhima Koregaon Shaurya Din Prerna Abhiyan, an umbrella organisation of 250 Dalit organisations.
The Elgar Parishad conclave was first held in 2018 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Bhima-Koregaon of 1818. The conclave was followed by violent clashes at Bhima-Koregaon village, which is located 35km from Pune city. According to the Dalit narrative, the 1818 battle is the victory over casteism, as the British Army, comprising a large contingent of Dalit Mahar soldiers, had defeated the forces of the Peshwa at Bhima Koregaon.
Faisal Malik is a senior journalist with over two and a half decades of experience covering Maharashtra’s politics, governance and public policy with a deep understanding of the state’s political landscape. He is a Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times and has been associated with its Mumbai edition for more than a decade. Based in Mumbai, Faisal currently covers three major political parties in Maharashtra — Congress, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and NCP (Sharad Pawar). Over the years, he has extensively reported on major political developments, combining investigative insights with in-depth field reporting. His coverage has spanned a wide range of issues, from drought, farmer suicides, major development projects and grassroots challenges to major electoral battles, including three Lok Sabha and Maharashtra Assembly elections — 2014, 2019 and 2024. Before joining Hindustan Times, he worked with ‘The Asian Age’ and ‘Dainik Bhaskar’. An avid tea enthusiast, he enjoys reading history, Urdu literature and classical poetry. When away from the newsroom, he writes Urdu poetry inspired by human emotions, life's experiences, meaningful reflections and relationships. An amateur photographer, Faisal is passionate about capturing moments that often go unnoticed by the naked eye.
