Journalism of Courage
Lucknow police have booked many people on sedition charges and promoting enmity on grounds of religion for allegedly raising anti-national and objectionable slogans during a rally on Friday to protest the new citizenship law and the NRC.
The case of sedition and other serious offences has been lodged at Thakurganj police station. Another case related to the same protest was registered at Chowk police station on charges of rioting and violation of CrPC Section 144.
Both cases, registered on Friday night, were lodged on complaints from police officials.
The AIMIM, which had called for the protest march from Ghanta Ghar to Teele Waali Masjid in Lucknow’s old city area, condemned the police action for violating the “Constitutional right to protest” and said the party will move the court against the decision.
Additional Superintendent of Police (West) Vikas Chandra Tripathi said: “The law and order situation was disturbed, (as) protesters did not stop even after they were asked to stop by policemen. The complaints have been lodged by police officials.”
He said separate FIRs have been lodged because there were law and order disturbance in two areas. “They had told us about a protest at Ghanta Ghar (but) they went to Teele Waali Masjid, which was not permitted by the administration. They raised slogans and blocked the road,” Tripathi said.
Thakurganj SHO Pramod Kumar Mishra said the sedition charge was invoked because the protesters “raised anti-national slogans and slogans against the Bill, which has been passed by Parliament and has been approved by the President”.
AIMIM organisation secretary for Uttar Pradesh, Mohammad Iqbal, said, “Holding a peaceful protest is our democratic right, and yesterday’s protest was completely peaceful. There was no issue with the police. This FIR is against our Constitutional right to protest.”
