Shaheen Bagh protest organiser and former JNU student Sharjeel Imam

Key Highlights 'It is our responsibility to cut Assam from India when this will happen, only then the Centre will listen to us' 'Sharjeel Imam told people to join in large numbers and block railway tracks and roads' 'People need to understand the difference between chakka jam'

New Delhi: Shaheen Bagh protest mastermind and former JNU student Sharjeel Imam has made a controversial statement saying that Muslims are in such numbers that they can out the entire Northeast from the rest of India. Speaking at Shaheen Bagh protests Imam said that their aim is to cut Assam and North East from India.

In an apparent reference to the Chicken Neck – the strategic corridor which connects India with the Northeast – Imam told the people to join in large numbers are block the railway tracks and roads

“If we all come together, then we can separate the Northeast from India. If not permanently then at least for 1-2 months we can do this. It will take the administration at least one month to disperse all of them. It is our responsibility to cut Assam from India when this will happen, only then the Centre will listen to us,” said Imam.

In a post on the Facebook post shared yesterday, Imam clarified that the main aim of Shaheen Bagh protest is to do "chakka jam" and rest everything is secondary.

“People need to understand the difference between chakka jam and sit-in protests. Organise sit-in protests in every city and tell people about chakka jam. Then after all the preparation and planning go and sit on the highways,” wrote Imam.

The standoff between India and China in Doklam was Beijing’s strategy to isolate Northeast from the rest of India but taking control of the Chicken Neck (Siliguri Corridor) and Imam has talked about the same strategy.

Meanwhile, several women have completed a 24-hour protest here against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and are going strong to stretch it to 48 hours.

On Friday, an attempt by a group of women to stage Shaheen Bagh-like protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), National Population Register (NPR) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) was foiled by the Hyderabad Police.