Supreme Court lawyer and BJP leader Ashwini Upadhyay along with five others have been formally arrested by the Delhi Police in connection to alleged inflammatory sloganeering in Delhi’ Jantar Mantar.
https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1424996688507195394?ref_src=twsrc%5EtfwThey were earlier detained by the Delhi Police for alleged ‘communal’ and ‘inflammatory’ sloganeering while protesting at Jantar Mantar. The sloganeering was caught in a video which later went viral on social media causing a furore.
https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1424941840181043203?ref_src=twsrc%5EtfwAs per reports, Upadhyay was summoned at 3 am for examination by the Connaught Place police station. Speaking on the detention a police officer informed, “In late-night operation, they all have been detained and now legal documents work is going on before making their arrest. Upadhyay reached Connaught Place police station at around 3 am and joined the investigation.”
https://twitter.com/mahendermanral/status/1424918452083453953?ref_src=twsrc%5EtfwThe other detained persons have been identified as Deepak Singh Hindu, Vineet Kranti, Preet Singh and Vinod Sharma, who is the head of Sudarshan Vahini. “Deepak Singh Hindu, who claims to be the president of an outfit called the Hindu Force, was detained from his house in Northeast Delhi’s Karawal Nagar. A team was stationed outside Deepak’s house and he was picked up around 12.40 am when he returned home,” informed the official.
While Upadhyay refused any involvement in the matter, DCP of New Delhi Deepak Yadav informed that the people who gathered at Jantar Mantar had no permission. “It has come to our due notice that some people raised inciting and objectionable slogans as well. We have also received a video and have registered FIR in the case. We are carrying out further investigation into the matter. Necessary action will be taken at the earliest.” he said.
Upadhyay disassociates himself from sloganeering
The former BJP spokesperson has reportedly disassociated himself with the people who raised the communal and anti-Mulsim slogans. Upadhyay in a video said that no communal sloganeering took place till the time he was at the protesting site.
He also claimed that he is not sure of the authenticity of the video and cast aspersions of it being fake or doctored. In case the video is true, Upadhyay has demanded strict action against the perpetrators.
https://twitter.com/AshwiniUpadhyay/status/1424698644062638084?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw“It is an attempt to malign our Bharat Jodo Andolan (protest against the colonial-era laws,” alleged Upadhyay in the video.
Further in a letter to the Delhi Police Upadhyay also said that his rally was attended by more than 5000 people. If a group of 5-6 people, stand in one corner of the expanse and raise communal slogans, then he or his men cannot be held accountable for it, wrote the BJP leader in his letter to the Delhi police.
The rally was from 10 to 12 pm whereas the sloganeering happened around 5 pm, said BJP leader Ashwini Upadhyay.
Video claiming anti-Muslim slogans raised at event organised by Ashwini Upadhyay in Delhi’s Jantar Mantar goes viral
A video showing a group of people shouting inflammatory slogans and threatening Muslims has been doing the rounds on social media with claims that it is from the event which was organized by the BJP leader Ashwini Upadhyay in Jantar Mantar against ‘Colonial-era laws’ on Sunday.
Meanwhile, AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan infamous for flaring communal tensions himself, has written to the Delhi Police demanding strict action and arrest of BJP leader Ashwini Upadhyay.
Note: Report updated with latest information