Woman Booked Over Remarks Against PM During Protest
Zero FIR registered over alleged abusive comments at Jantar Mantar; Cockroach Janta Party criticises criminal action
- A 25-year-old woman booked over alleged objectionable remarks against PM Narendra Modi.
- Zero FIR registered in Noida, transferred to Parliament Street Police Station.
- Cockroach Janta Party says language may be objectionable but opposes criminal prosecution.
- Delhi government says no action against student protesters except those with criminal antecedents.
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 30th July: A 25-year-old woman has been booked for allegedly using objectionable language against Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the Cockroach Janta Party-led protests against examination paper leaks at Jantar Mantar on July 23.
According to police, a complaint was filed on Wednesday alleging that the woman’s remarks insulted the dignity of the Prime Minister’s office and had the potential to disturb public peace and create disharmony.
A Zero FIR was registered at the Expressway Police Station in Noida under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) relating to provoking breach of peace, statements conducing to public mischief and defamation. The case has since been transferred to the Parliament Street Police Station in Delhi for further investigation.
Responding to the development, Cockroach Janta Party spokesperson Saurav Das said that while the language used by the woman could be considered objectionable, invoking criminal law against protesters was unacceptable.
Das said any person aggrieved by defamatory remarks was free to pursue civil or criminal defamation proceedings, but using criminal machinery against protesters could have a chilling effect on free expression.
He also appealed to young protesters to exercise restraint in their language while urging the police not to misuse their powers for political purposes.
Earlier in the day, Delhi Home Minister Ashish Sood said no legal action would be taken against those arrested during the student protests except individuals with criminal antecedents.
Sood said the Delhi government stood with the students and had honoured its commitment to them, but maintained that action would be taken against anti-social elements who allegedly used the protests to indulge in violence or other unlawful activities.
