BAREILLY: Irrigation Minister of India’s Uttar Pradesh state DharampalSingh on Sunday asked the police chief to register an FIR under thesedition law (IPC’s Section 124-A) in a case of ‘anti-national slogans’being raised during the victory procession of Bahujan Samaj Party’s (BSP)Nawabganjnagar Palika chairperson Shehla Tahir.
The minister’s complaint came a day after a video of the December 19 eventwent viral on social media. Quoting senior police officials, Times of Indiahas reportedlink>thatthe authorities were verifying the clipping and would take further actionafter its authenticity was established.
In the video, a man, who is not visible, can be heard twice shouting‘Pakistan zindabad,’ the paper reported. “Raising pro-Pakistan slogans isan ‘insult’ to the country. I have spoken to the senior police officialsand informed them that this was a serious matter and a case of seditionmust be registered,” the minister said.
“I have directed a senior police officer to first verify the video and takeaction accordingly,” said SK Bhagat, the inspector general of the BareillyPolice. SSP Jogendra Kumar said that they were checking at this stage ifthe clipping was authentic and would take further action accordingly.
“My political opponents have edited the clipping and circulated it onsocial media. I am being framed. I come from a family of freedom fightersand I proudly hoist the national flag on Independence Day and RepublicDay,” Shehla Tahir said while terming the video doctored.