Controversy over poem on UP poll

Facebook authorities have removed a controversial poem from his wall, poet Srijato Bandyopadhyay claimed on Saturday. “Facebook authorities removed the poem that triggered such controversy over the past few days. Most of the comments were extremely distasteful,” Bandyopadhyay, 42, told the media on Saturday.

On March 19 , the 12-line poem virtually polarised the residents of West Bengal, with a member of a Hindu rights group lodging a police complaint on grounds that it hurt the religious sentiments of the Hindus. It culminated in Siliguri Police registering an FIR on non-baliable sections.

On March 22, the police lodged a case and slapped non-bailable section of IT Act. Section 295A of the IT Act relates to “deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs”. It carries a maximum sentence of three years in prison and/or fine.

In the poem, Bandyopadhyay criticised the outcome of the UP elections, took a dig at CM and made a ‘derogatory’ remark against Trishul, a quintessential Hindu symbol. BJP state president Dilip Ghosh stood by complainant, Arnab Sarkar, a 20-year-old student, and criticised the poet. “He does not have too many readers. He has not only made distasteful comments against Hindu religion, but also made disparaging comments against Adityanath.