Amit Jani held for objectionable post on Taj
AGRA: UP Navnirman Sena president, Amit Jani, 34, was arrested along with his associate, Updesh Rana for sharing a controversial post on social media depicting the Taj Mahal as ‘Tejo Mahalaya’ (Shiva temple).
He was presented before the CJM court on Monday and sent to jail with Rana for offences under the IT Act and provoking religious sentiments.
The post had shown Taj Mahal as a Shiva temple with saffron flags atop its minarets and main mausoleum with the sign of ‘Om’ on it.
On Thursday, when chief minister Adityanath Yogi visited the Taj Mahal and called it a ‘gem’, many expected an end to the controversies
THE POST HAD SHOWN TAJ MAHAL AS A SHIVA TEMPLE WITH SAFFRON FLAGS ATOP ITS MINARETS AND MAIN MAUSOLEUM WITH THE SIGN OF ‘OM’ ON IT
related with the 17th century marvel.
However, a controversial post on facebook surfaced, after which Amit Jani was arrested from Lucknow on Sunday last night and brought to Agra on Monday.
“The accused Amit Jani and Updesh Rana were arrested by the Special Task Force (STF) and Agra police from Lucknow. They were brought to Agra on Monday after a case was registered at Tajganj police station of Agra for objectionable post on social media,” said Uday Raj Singh, deputy Superintendent of police, Sadar circle of Agra.
Jani admitted that he had shared the post on social media and called a meeting in Agra on November 3, seeking declaration of Taj Mahal as ‘Tejo Mahalaya’.
“BJP leaders, including Vinay Katiyar, had been claiming that Taj Mahal was Tejo Mahalaya. Chief minister Yogi Adityanath too had similar views when was an MP, but he changed his stand,’’ claimed Jani while talking to HT before being presented before the court.
“We had deleted the post and called off the meeting in Agra over the issue after the model code of conduct for civic polls came into force. But yet we were arrested,” stated Jani who had been in the news earlier for damaging BSP chief Mayawati’s statue in Lucknow and threatening JNU leader Kanhaiya Kumar for which he was arrested.
“Amit Jani and Updesh Rana were brought to the Tajganj police station, but later shifted to the Sadar police station. The accused were booked under relevant provisions of the IT Act and IPC for provoking religious sentiments. They were presented before the court on Monday,” stated Uday Raj Singh, DySP.
The accused moved a bail application before the court of chief judicial magistrate (Agra) for cases registered under sections 153B, 295A of IPC and Section 66 of Information Act.