The Uttar Pradesh Police have registered a case against noted folk singer and poetess Neha Singh Rathore, accusing her of making provocative social media posts that allegedly threatened national unity and incited communal disharmony in the aftermath of the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir.
The complaint was lodged by Abhay Pratap Singh at the Hazratganj police station in Lucknow. In his statement, Singh alleged that Rathore, through her Twitter (now X) handle @nehafolksinger, made several objectionable remarks targeting a particular religious community at a time when the nation was mourning the brutal killing of 26 individuals, most of them tourists. According to reports, the assailants had selectively targeted victims based on their religious affiliation.
The complainant asserted that while the entire country was grappling with grief and outrage over the Pahalgam incident, Rathore’s posts sought to “incite one community against another,†thereby undermining national integrity and public tranquillity. The remarks, Singh contended, had the potential to disturb the peace and endanger the sovereignty and unity of India. In one of her posts, Neha Singh Rathore wrote:
“Why this selective outrage? Are the lives of people from a particular faith less valuable? Hatred has no religion, but unfortunately, some are using religion to spread hatred openly. Justice for all innocent lives lost - not just slogans, but actions.†In a subsequent post, she further criticised perceived selective condemnation of violence, stating:
“Silence in the face of such tragedies deepens divisions. Hypocrisy and hate crimes must be called out, regardless of the faith of the victims or the perpetrators.†Following the complaint, the police registered a First Information Report (FIR) against Rathore under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the new criminal code that has replaced the colonial-era Indian Penal Code (IPC). She has been charged under Section 152 of the BNS, which pertains to acts endangering the sovereignty, unity, and integrity of India, as well as sections related to promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion and disturbing public order.
Additionally, charges have been framed under the Information Technology Act for the use of electronic communication to spread content deemed inflammatory.
Although the BNS does not explicitly contain a provision titled “sedition†as was present under Section 124A of the IPC, the new legal framework criminalises similar acts that threaten the sovereignty and unity of the nation.
Senior police officials confirmed the registration of the case and stated that further investigation is underway to ascertain the extent and impact of Rathore’s posts. Any further legal action will be taken based on the findings of the inquiry, they added.
Neha Singh Rathore, known for her socially and politically charged folk songs, has not yet issued a formal statement responding to the charges. Her posts, however, have sparked intense debate online, with supporters defending her remarks as calls for universal justice, while critics have accused her of inflaming communal sensitivities.
The incident highlights the increasing scrutiny of social media discourse in sensitive situations and the growing tensions surrounding expressions of dissent or critique in the public sphere.
