Communal sloganeering at Jantar Mantar:BJP’s Ashwini Upadhyay among 6 arrested by Delhi Police

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Aug 10, 2021: BJP leader Ashwini Upadhyay and five others have been arrested in connection with the communal sloganeering near Jantar Mantar on Sunday, Delhi Police said on Tuesday. Others arrested include Vinod Sharma, Deepak Singh, Deepak, Vinit Kranti, Preet Singh, the police said.

 

A case under sections 153A and 188 of the Indian Penal Code has been filed against the accused, the police said.

The Delhi Police questioned BJP’s Ashwini Upadhyay and other accused till early Tuesday morning. The BJP leader was on Monday asked to appear at the Connaught Place police station for questioning.

WHAT IS THE CASE?

A video showing communal slogans being raised during a protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi was widely circulated on social media, following which the Delhi Police registered a case in connection with the matter on Monday.

The protest was organised by Bharat Jodo Aandolan at Jantar Mantar.

Shipra Srivastava, media in-charge of Bharat Jodo Aandolan, said the protest was held under the leadership of advocate and former BJP spokesperson Ashwini Upadhyay. However, he denied any links to those who raised communal slogans.

WHAT HAS ASHWINI UPADHYAY SAID?

BJP leader Ashwini Upadhyay had earlier written to the Delhi Police Commissioner in connection with the case on Monday. In his letter, Ashwani Upadhyay said he had left the meeting venue around 12 noon after spending an hour on the stage as the crowd had started to swell. He has also said that the event was organised to protest against the number of British-era laws that are still prevalent in India.

Upadhyay has complained that some on Twitter are trying to malign his name by associating inflammatory sloganeering to him. However, he has claimed that he doesn’t know any of the persons seen in the video.

“A video is now going viral on social media in which one person can be seen giving a hateful speech and some people are defaming me on Twitter, Facebook and WhatsApp despite the fact that I do not know or have never met the people seen in the video; I didn’t even invite these people to the event,” Ashwini Upadhyay wrote.

He further requested the Delhi Police Commissioner to take strict action against the men seen raising communal slogans in the viral videos.

Courtesy:India Today