The Delhi Police’s special cell on Thursday booked Delhi Minorities Commission chairman Zafarul Islam Khan under sedition charges, two days after he allegedly made “provocative” remarks in his social media posts.
Hindustan Times quoted Joint commissioner of police (special cell) Neeraj Thakur said that a first information report (FIR) has been registered against Khan under Indian Penal Code sections 124 A (sedition) and 153 A (Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony).
Khan, did not comment on the development. “I have not seen the FIR. I will comment only when I see it or know about it,” he said.
On Thursday, Khan had issued an apology through his social media accounts, saying that his tweet was ill-timed and insensitive and that it had “pained some people” but it was never his intention.
The FIR was filed on the complaint of a Vasant Kunj resident. The complaint reached the Lodhi Colony office of the anti-terror squad, special cell, through the assistant commissioner of police (ACP) Safdarjung Enclave. HT has a copy of the FIR.
In his complaint, the Vasant Kunj resident alleged that on April 28, Delhi Minorities Commission chairperson Zafarul-Islam Khan made a social media post on Twitter and Facebook and the contents of the post are “provocative, intend to cause disharmony and create the rift in the society.”
Citing the tweet and a Facebook post by Khan, the BJP has demanded his removal from the post of Delhi Minorities Commission chairman. A delegation of Delhi BJP MLAs met Lt Governor Anil Baijal on Thursday and also demanded registration of a case against him.
Meanwhile, a pubic statement has been issued in solidarity with Zafarul Islam Khan by a group of NGOs and citizens which condemned the media trial targeting Khan.
The statement demanded legal action against those who are distorting Khan’s Facebook post and spreading false propaganda against him.
