Punjab police have booked former top cop and Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu’s principal strategic adviser Mohammad Mustafa for allegedly making a provocative speech in Baghwala Mohalla in Malerkotla on January 20. Terming the FIR baseless and rejecting all allegations, Mustafa asserted that it has been registered without proper verification of facts.
The former DGP Mustafa has been booked under Section 153-A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) that deals with the offence of promoting enmity between different groups on the grounds of religion, among others; besides Section 125 of the Representation of the People Act. In both cases, punishment exceeds up to three years with or without fine.
The FIR, reportedly lodged on late Saturday night, claimed that while patrolling in the area, they got information about a video wherein Mustafa was allegedly giving an inflammatory speech.
“After getting information about the viral video, our SHO has registered the FIR. We would ask Mohammad Mustafa also to submit his reply during our investigations” said Malerkotla SSP Ravjot Kaur Grewal.
The FIR was lodged on the basis of a complaint by inspector Harjinder Singh of Malerkotla city police station.
Notably, both the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had organised political meetings in Baghwala Mohalla of Malerkotla town within a distance of about 20-25 feet on January 20. Mustafa had purportedly made the provocative speech after AAP supporters raised slogans against him following the police’s decision to stop their programme.
On Friday, complaints had been lodged against both the political parties for reportedly violating COVID-19 protocols. Later, the SSP confirmed that an FIR has been registered against Mustafa, and “we are inquiring the details of the incident minutely. No one will be allowed to spoil the atmosphere of the city”.
It has been learnt that the returning officer concerned had already issued notice, pertaining to the alleged violation of the model code of conduct, to both the Congress and the AAP.
AAP leaders had already lodged a complaint with the Election Commission and a notice was issued to Mustafa. But after video created storm on social media, the police finally registered an FIR on Saturday night.
FIR BASELESS: MUSTAFA
Defending himself, Mustafa claimed that he did not target any religion in his speech. Husband of sitting Congress MLA from Malerkotla and Cabinet Minister Razia Sultana, Mustafa has termed the FIR as baseless saying that his political opponents were “trying to make an issue out of nothing”.
Though Mustafa has been booked under a non-bailable offence, he hasn’t been arrested yet.
The former DGP also maintained that he never spoken against any community nor did he ever ask his supporters to issue any statement. “I had warned AAP workers, who chased me and tried to harm me.
The FIR is totally baseless as it has been registered without the proper verification of facts,” he said.
At the same time, Mustafa maintained that he would fully cooperate during investigations.
Taking on BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra on Twitter, Mustafa said: “Don't look for your staple diet ‘Hindu-Musalman” into everything. unless your eardrums lie dysfunctional, stretch your ears to listen ‘fitnon’, not hinduon. “Fitne aur fitno” meaning mischievous elements, are the most commonly used expressions in my samaj (sic).”
Mustafa lashed out at Patra, who had shared Mustafa’s video to attack the Congress party and the Gandhi siblings. “There was absolutely no Hindu-Muslim context to what happened in Malerkotla to which the quoted video clip relates. It was a verbal outburst unilaterally mischievously provoked by jhaduwalas, all muslims (sic),” he said in a related tweet.
In another tweet, Mustafa told BJP leader, “Your intended branding will not work on Mustafa as my nationalistic credentials are far superior to yours with a history of life long fight against enemies of India and destroyers of communal harmony in the State.”
