Delhi Police arrests 15 over posters critical of PM Modi
The Delhi Police has arrested 15 people and registered 17 First Information Reports (FIRs) over posters critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Press Trust of India reported today. The posters, pasted in several parts of the capital city, questioned the Modi government over its vaccination drive against the COVID-19 even as a ferocious second wave of the pandemic continues to ravage the nation.
860 posters, 20 banners recovered by the cops
The posters read, "Modiji humare bachon ki vaccine videsh kyu bhej diya," which translates to - PM Modi, why did you send vaccines for our children to the foreign countries? The police had on Thursday received information about the posters, after which senior officials of all districts were alerted. Around 860 posters and 20 banners have reportedly been recovered by the cops so far.
FIRs filed under these sections
The FIRs have been filed under Section 3 of the Prevention of Defacement of Property Act, Sections 188, 269, and 34 of the Indian Penal Code, among others, Additional DCP (East district) Sanjay Sehrawat said. According to the police, three of the FIRs were lodged in Northeast Delhi, three in West Delhi, and another three in Outer Delhi. Two cases were registered in Rohini.
Posters allegedly pasted on behalf of an AAP councillor
The police said some men were pasting posters in the Kalyanpuri area on behalf of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillor Dhirender Kumar, according to a report by The Indian Express. "During questioning, they claimed an AAP councillor asked them to paste all these posters. We are verifying the claims," Sehrawat said. However, Kumar has said he is not aware of any allegations against him.
India exported 6 crore vaccine doses amid COVID-19 surge
Starting January 20 until March, India exported over 6.6 crore vaccine doses to 93 countries. That move has been questioned by the public and Opposition leaders as India is currently facing the world's worst coronavirus outbreak and acute shortage of vaccines. On a related note, the Delhi Police had yesterday questioned leaders of several political parties over their procurement and distribution of coronavirus medicines.
