Jantar Mantar hate speech: 6 arrested

| | NEW DELHI
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Jantar Mantar hate speech: 6 arrested

Wednesday, 11 August 2021 | Staff Reporter | NEW DELHI

Delhi Police on Tuesday arrested six people, including former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Ashwini Upadhyay, in connection with the anti-Muslim slogans allegedly raised during a protest at the national Capital’s Jantar Mantar area on Sunday. Police said that the accused identified as Ashwini Upadhyay, Preet Singh, Deepak Singh, Deepak Kumar, Vinod Sharma and Vinit Bajpai were arrested from Delhi and its peripheral area and were produced before the Magistrate on Tuesday.

According to Deepak Yadav, the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), New Delhi district, the six people were arrested after an First Information Report (FIR) was registered at the Connaught Place police station regarding the provocative sloganeering at a programme held near the Bank of Baroda.

Following the arrest, around 40-50 protesters, including self-proclaimed Hindu leader Ragini Tiwari, blocked the road outside the Connaught Place police station and demanded the release of Ashwini Upadhyay and five others. However, the protesters were later removed from the area, police said, adding that they have been sent back to their destination by bus.

A video showing anti-Muslim slogans being raised during a protest at Jantar Mantar was widely circulated on social media, following which the Delhi Police registered a case on Monday. The video shows a group of people shouting inflammatory slogans and threatening Muslims during the protest.Hundreds of people had attended the protest organised by the ‘Bharat Jodo Aandolan’ at Jantar Mantar on Sunday.Shipra Srivastava, media in-charge of ‘Bharat Jodo Aandolan’, had said the protest was held under the leadership of Upadhyay. However, she denied any links to those who raised anti-Muslim slogans.

"The protest was held against colonial laws and we were demanding the abolition of 222 British laws. We have seen the video, but have no idea who they are. The police should take strict action against the persons who raised the slogans," Srivastava had said.

Upadhyay, too, denied any involvement in the anti-Muslim slogan shouting incident.

"I have submitted a complaint to the Delhi Police to examine the video which went viral. If the video is authentic, then strict action should be taken against the persons who were involved in it," he had said. "I have no idea who they are. I have never seen them, never met them and neither called them there. Till the time I was there, they were not seen there. If the video is fake, then a propaganda is being circulated to defame the andolan," Upadhyay said.

“Police have received a video and we are examining it. A case has been registered under relevant sections of the law and an investigation is in progress,” the DCP had said.

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