FROM AN editorial linked to a authorities hoarding to public remarks towards the Prime Minister in a pre-poll speech, from a video clip with disputed audio to a message on a housing society WhatsApp group — all of those have been booked for sedition underneath the draconian IPC part 124A for offences punishable with imprisonment for all times and a advantageous, or imprisonment upto three years and a advantageous.
An evaluation by The Indian Express of 14 key sedition circumstances lodged over the previous yr exhibits that governments throughout the nation, in states dominated by each BJP and Congress, have wielded the sedition cost on the drop of a hat towards a sweeping vary of alleged offences.
This assumes significance at a time when the Supreme Court is listening to petitions difficult the constitutional validity of the IPC part 124A — and can quickly resolve if the matter needs to be referred to a bigger bench.
Of the 14 sedition circumstances, BJP-ruled UP topped the chart with 4, together with one towards former UP Governor Aziz Qureshi for alleged derogatory remarks in regards to the authorities. Two of the opposite circumstances had been filed towards Opposition candidates within the run-up to the state elections.
Next in line is Congress-ruled Chhattisgarh with two circumstances, together with one towards a former IG of police over “inflammatory pieces of writing” towards the federal government.
The newest on the listing can be essentially the most high-profile — that of MLA-MP couple Ravi and Navneet Rana for threatening to chant the Hanuman Chalisa exterior Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray’s residence in Mumbai final month.
The different key circumstances are equally hanging, each for vary and nature: from pro-Pakistan slogans to a social media submit towards regulation enforcement, from remarks towards UP CM Yogi Adityanath to a menace to assault the state with a cannon over the farmers’ protests — and a brand new Tamil flag.
Consider these:
4 circumstances in UP
Bijnor Police booked SP-RLD candidate Dr Neeraj Chaudhary on February 3 over a video of his supporters purportedly shouting “Pakistan Zindabad” slogans. The candidate mentioned they had been hailing his affiliate Aqib Ansari. Chaudhary misplaced the election to BJP’s Suchi.
Case standing: Video despatched to a state forensic lab, report awaited.
Congress chief Ajay Rai was charged by Varanasi Police on February 5 for allegedly making objectionable feedback about Prime Minister Narendra Modi and CM Yogi Adityanath at a public assembly on January 31. Rai misplaced the election from Pindra.
Case standing: Investigation is on.
Last September, Rampur Police booked former UP governor Aziz Qureshi for allegedly making derogatory feedback in regards to the state authorities, after assembly jailed SP chief Azam Khan’s spouse. The case was filed on a criticism from native BJP chief Akash Saxena.
Case standing: Investigation is on.
Last October, Agra Police arrested three Kashmiri engineering college students, Arsheed Yusuf, Inayat Altaf Sheikh and Showkat Ahmed Ganai, for allegedly celebrating the victory of Pakistan towards India within the T20 World Cup, and “anti-India” messages on WhatsApp. The three, who had been learning underneath the PM’s Special Scholarship Scheme for J&Okay college students, had been rusticated from the faculty.
Case standing: Chargesheet filed, letter despatched to state authorities in search of sanction for prosecution.
2 circumstances in Chhattisgarh
A case was filed towards IPS officer G P Singh, the previous Raipur IG, on July 3, 2021, on a criticism from the Anti-Corruption Bureau. The motion was taken after a diary containing “serious and sensitive information” and “inflammatory pieces of writing against the government and its policy” had been discovered throughout searches performed on premises linked to Singh. Singh was arrested on January 11.
Case standing: In judicial custody.
Religious chief Kalicharan was booked final December for allegedly making derogatory remarks about Mahatma Gandhi at a Dharam Sansad in Raipur. The FIR was filed on a criticism from Congress chief Pramod Dubey. Kalicharan was arrested from Madhya Pradesh on December 30.
Case standing: Granted bail on April 6.
Assam
On December 4, 2021, a journalist, Anirban Roy Choudhury, was booked for an editorial revealed on a information portal in Cachar on the arrest of politician Pradip Dutt Roy. Dutt Roy had earlier been booked for issuing an ultimatum over a authorities hoarding written in Assamese, saying it violated the Assam Official Language Act. Choudhury’s editorial had the headline: “Welcome to the paradise of the spineless — we are Assamese, ‘Bhasha Shaheeds’ are dead and so are their descendants”. The criticism towards the editorial, filed by a member of the All Assam Bengali Hindu Association, claimed it may “hamper brotherhood between Bengalis and Assamese of Assam”.
Status: Granted bail.
Gujarat
On February 20, advocate Sohil Mor was booked after a neighbour accused him of posting an objectionable assertion about Chhatrapati Shivaji on a WhatsApp group. Mor was additionally accused of allegedly tearing an image of a deity when confronted by the complainant, and allegedly slapping a police constable who tried to intervene.
Case standing: In judicial custody.
Haryana
Khap chief Sunil Gulia was booked in Jhajjar on January 15, 2021, for importing a video on social media during which he allegedly vowed to “attack the government with a cannon” if the farm protesters’ calls for weren’t met.
Case standing: Charges dropped after the state authorities agreed to withdraw all circumstances registered towards protesting farmers.
Jammu and Kashmir
Fahad Shah, editor-in-chief of The Kashmir Walla on-line information journal, was arrested on February 4 by Pulwama Police. The police mentioned his social media posts induced a “dent to the image of law enforcing agencies besides causing ill will and disaffection against the country”.
Shah acquired bail on February 26, however was rearrested in one other case in Shopian. On March 5, he acquired bail within the Shopian case however was arrested once more in a case registered in Srinagar in 2020. The police additionally booked him underneath the Public Safety Act (PSA), which permits for detention with out trial for upto one yr.
Case standing: Under detention in Srinagar.
Jharkhand
Eight folks had been booked on April 20, for elevating the slogan ‘Pakistan Zindabad’. “There is a direct allegation against the accused (Shakir Hussain and eight others) of conduct of speech inciting rebellion against the authority of the state by raising slogan of ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ in a group of 50-60 people in front of Gandey Block,” court docket paperwork present.
Case standing: All accused in jail.
Maharashtra
Independent lawmaker-couple Navneet and Ravi Rana had been arrested on April 23 after they threatened to recite the Hanuman Chalisa exterior the non-public residence of CM Uddhav Thackeray in Mumbai if their demand to take away loudspeakers from mosques was not met. Police mentioned the couple’s announcement “challenges the writ of the state machinery and invokes hate and dislike against the government”.
Case standing: Granted bail.
Manipur
A lawyer, Sanaojam Samacharon, was booked on April 12, on a criticism from BJP’s youth wing BJYM, for allegedly utilizing derogatory language towards Union house minister Amit Shah and abusive remarks towards the “mainland Indian” throughout a neighborhood TV speak present.
Case standing: Granted bail.
Tamil Nadu
Naam Tamilar Katchi chief Seeman was booked final November for hoisting a separate flag for the state throughout “Tamil Nadu Day” and for making controversial remarks in a speech.
Case standing: Action pending.
(With inputs from Lucknow, Raipur, Guwahati, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, Srinagar, Ranchi, Mumbai, Chennai)
Source: www.financialexpress.com”