MARKING A doubtful first within the run-up to the UP elections, the sedition cost has been leveled towards the Opposition SP-RLD alliance candidate from Bijnor, Dr Neeraj Chaudhary, based mostly on a video that surfaced on-line of his supporters shouting slogans throughout a “ mass contact” program.
While the native police claimed within the FIR that the video exhibits Chaudhary’s supporters elevating slogans of “Pakistan Zindabad”, the candidate denied the cost and stated they had been hailing an in depth affiliate Aqib Ansari, who’s the husband of a corporator, with slogans of “ Aqib bhai zindabad”.
Chaudhary blamed the BJP’s IT cell for “twisting the slogans”. The BJP denied the allegation, terming it as “false”. The audio within the 12-second video clip is partially unclear however the slogans of “Aqib bhai zindabad” might be heard.
Chaudhary (51) is a well-liked physician within the space and first-time candidate. Apart from IPC part 124-A (sedition), the fees towards him embrace these underneath sections 295-A associated to insulting non secular beliefs, 153-A on selling enmity between completely different teams, and numerous sections of Epidemic Disease Act and Disaster Management Act.
According to police, the video is from Tuesday and the FIR was lodged on Thursday “after preliminary enquiry”. They have additionally booked Chaudhary’s supporters, who haven’t been recognized. No one has been arrested.
Reacting to the case in a sequence of tweets in Hindi, RLD president Jayant Chaudhary hailed his social gathering’s candidate and wrote: “Unhein yeh murkh video physician karke deshdrohi sabit karney mein lagey hain (These fools try to challenge him as a traitor by doctoring the video).”
Asking voters to be “careful”, the RLD chief wrote: “New India mein ‘Aqib bhai zindabad’ ko ‘Pakistan zindabad’ bataya jata hai (In New India, ‘Aqib bhai zindabad’ is being portrayed as ‘Pakistan zindabad’). “
The complainant within the case is Sub Inspector Puspendra Singh from the City Kotwali station, who alleged that the accused had been shouting “objectionable slogans” and “trying to disturb communal harmony and law and order of the area”. The candidate’s supporters had been additionally seen violating Covid protocols by transferring in teams and never utilizing masks, Singh said within the grievance.
Additional SP (Bijnor) Dr Pravin Ranjan Singh stated the case has been lodged “on the basis of preliminary enquiry”. “During investigation, all can be regarded into. The video may even be despatched to the forensic laboratory for examination,” he stated.
Radhey Shyam, Station House Officer at City Kotwali, stated that “a video went viral on social media on Thursday in which it is seen that in the presence of Neeraj Chaudhary, his 20-25 unidentified supporters were raising ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ slogans during canvassing for votes”.
According to Chaudhary, the police registered the case with out listening to the audio within the clip. He stated that he had been to the residence of Ansari within the Julahan-Kazipada space of Bijnor, alongside along with his supporters, on Tuesday night.
“Then, we went out to fulfill the general public. On the best way, my associates had been elevating slogans of ‘Jayant Chaudhary zindabad’, ‘Neeraj Chaudhary zindabad’, ‘Aqib Ansari zindabad’ and ‘Aqib bhai zindabad’. On coming to know that some folks had been attempting to twist the slogans, I instantly known as the police yesterday (Thursday) and sought an inquiry. I used to be shocked when informed that the police have already booked me in a case,” he stated.
Neeraj Chaudhary stated he has filed a grievance towards the police motion with the Election Commission and the state ballot panel. “I said in my grievance that the administration district is working with the BJP and a good election wouldn’t be attainable. The BJP’s IT cell has launched the video with malafide intention and the police, with out verifying it, filed the FIR. I’ve requested the Election Commission to take motion towards police officers for framing me in a false case,” he stated.
BJP’s Bijnor district president, Subhash Balmiki, stated: “Neeraj Chaudhary is making false towards our social gathering. These folks (SP and RLD) try to polarize the environment of the district and attempting to shift blame on others.”
Scheduled to vote on February 14, the Bijnor constituency has round 3.84 lakh votes, together with over 1.50 lakh from the Muslim neighborhood. The seat was received in 2017 by BJP’s Suchi Chaudhary, who’s the social gathering’s candidate this time, too.
Neeraj Chaudhary’s father, Tej Pal Singh, had received a state election as an Independent candidate from Chandpur in 1993. His mom Surekha contested unsuccessfully in 1996 as a BSP candidate.
“I joined RLD over a month in the past. I’ve no political historical past and there’s no prison case towards me. By lodging a sedition case towards me, the police try to break my profession. It is shocking that regardless of lodging the FIR, the police will not be arresting me,” Chaudhary stated.
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With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
