BJP leader among six arrested over communal sloganeering

SLOGANS WERE RAISED ALLEGEDLY AT AN EVENT ORGANISED TO DEMAND THE ABOLITION OF COLONIAL-ERA LAWS

Six people, including former Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Ashwini Upadhyay, have been arrested in connection with a case registered after a video was circulated on social media in which some people were purportedly heard raising communal slogans in New Delhi on Sunday, police said on Tuesday.

Deputy commissioner of police (New Delhi) Deepak Yadav said those arrested, apart from Upadhyay, are Preet Singh, Deepak Singh, Deepak Kumar, Vinod Sharma, and Vinit Bajpai.

The slogans were raised purportedly at an event organised on Sunday to demand the abolition of colonial-era laws. The video was circulated after the event organised by Upadhyay under the banner of Bharat Jodo Andolan (unite India movement) at Jantar Mantar. Police said permission was not granted for the event.

Upadhyay on Monday claimed no inflammatory slogans were raised at the event.

HT tried to contact Upadhyay on Tuesday for his comments, but his mobile phone was switched off.

Early on Tuesday, Hindu Sena chief Vishnu Gupta issued a statement saying police raided his residence around 1.30am and he was “illegally arrested on false charges for Jantar Mantar controversial remarks by some unknown activists”. Police denied Gupta was arrested in the case.

On Monday, the police said they registered a case against unknown persons under Indian Penal Code’s (IPC) Sections 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc, and acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony) and 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant). Relevant sections of the Disaster Management Act were also included in the case because Covid-19 guidelines such as social distancing and wearing masks were violated during the event, the police said.