Six Muslims and a Hindu youth were arrested on Monday for allegedly putting up a banner with Pakistani flag while taking out a procession in Gwalior on the occasion of Milad-un-Nabi. Two activists of the Bajrang Dal and the Hindu Mahasabha had complained to the police on Sunday that a controversial banner had come up in Gwalior’s Maharajwada locality from where the procession was taken out by Muslims. Local VHP leader Pappu Varma told The Indian Express that when the matter was brought to his notice on Sunday, he called up police officers threatening them with protests, if action was not taken against the persons whose photographs were displayed on the banner. In-charge of Kotwali Police Station Satishchandra Chaturvedi said he probed the two complaints from the Hindu organisations and found that an offence had been committed. The seven people have booked under the Section 153 B (imputations, assertions prejudicial to national integration) of the IPC. Varma, who is also associated with the Bajrang Dal, said his organisation does not want to protect Anand Bhai, the only Hindu among the accused, because he was also party to the offence by allowing his photograph to be used, knowingly or unknowingly. “We have not seen his photos wishing people on Ram Navmi,’’ said Varma and alleged that pro-Pakistani slogans were also raised during the procession. When word spread that Hindu organisations had objected to the banner, some people covered it with white ink but by then photographs had already been widely circulated on WhatsApp. The VHP has also demanded action against the shahar qazi alleging that the banner was displayed with his consent. “He should be booked for sedition,’’ Varma said.
