Anti-Muslim slogans raised at Jantar Mantar; Delhi Police files FIR
Delhi Police has registered a First Information Report (FIR) against a group of people for raising communal slogans at the city's Jantar Mantar on Sunday. Organizers say the event was held to protest against British-era colonial laws in the country, however, they denied any links to those who raised the slogans. An investigation into the matter is currently underway.
March was organized by a former BJP spokesperson
Sunday's march was organized by Ashwini Upadhyay, a Supreme Court lawyer and former Delhi BJP spokesperson. In videos that were shared on social media, some men could be heard shouting slogans threatening Muslims. "Hindustan mein rehna hoga jai shri ram kehna hoga (To stay in India, you must say Jai Shri Ram)," they shouted at the Jantar Mantar.
You can watch the video here
FIR lodged at Connaught Place Police station
Police has filed an FIR under Sections 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups) against unknown persons at the Connaught Place Police station. Cops also said the event was held without due permission, and are in the process of identifying those seen in the video. They have added relevant sections of the Disaster Management Act for violating COVID-19 guidelines.
Upadhyay distances himself from the controversy
Upadhyay, who organized the event, told the police he had left the venue around 12 pm. He said he does not know the people involved in the sloganeering. "I request the police to investigate the authenticity of the video, the place, and timing when it was made and if the videos are authentic then there should be strict action against people involved in it."
'We disassociate ourselves from them'
"There was a protest against colonial laws used to suppress Indians by the British, which still exist. We were there to protest against those laws and for a Uniform Civil Code," said Shipra Srivastava, media in-charge of the event. "There was no such slogan in my knowledge...If five-six people in some corner would be shouting such slogans, then we would disassociate ourselves from them."
AIMIM's Asaduddin Owaisi raised the issue in the Parliament
The slogans were shouted in the presence of Narsinghanand Saraswati, a priest infamous for hate speeches, according to a report by NDTV. AIMIM leader and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi today raised the issue in the Parliament. "After all, what is the secret of the growing courage of these hooligans? They know that the Modi government stands with them."
