In what seems to be an effort to polarise the on-going by-polls, a charge-sheet filed against Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP), President Amit Shah, in connection with `hate speech’ more than a month back suddenly hit media hide-lines on Wednesday.
While BJP came out in support of Shah, questioning the timing of charge-sheet, senior officers in Muzaffarnagar, blamed media for unnecessary raising the issue now as they filed charge-sheet in the case on July 30 last (Charge Sheet No-259/14) in a local court. The charge sheet was filed against 49-year-old Shah in a court here for allegedly seeking votes on the grounds of religion, race, caste and community during campaigning for the Party on April 4, earlier this year in Muzaffarnagar.
According to senior officer of Muzaffarnagar, the CS has been filed under various sections of IPC, including 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, etc.), 295A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class) and 505 (false statement, rumour, etc. circulated with intent to cause mutiny or offence against the public peace), and Section 123-3 of Representation of People Act (making an appeal to vote on the grounds of religion amounting to corrupt practice). Police had registered a case against Shah for allegedly violating the model code following a direction from the Election Commission, which had also banned him from campaigning in the state on April 4, 2014. The FIR was lodged against Shah in New Mandi police station by a district official on April 12, and the case was handed over to Sub-Inspector Bl Shah for investigation. Sources said that in more one case registered also against shah for hate speech in Muzaffarnagar, is still under investigation and very soon a separate charge-sheet would be sent in the court.
It may be mentioned that Shah had landed in a major controversy for allegedly saying that the 2014 lok Sabha polls were an opportunity to seek “revenge for the insult” inflicted during the riots in Muzaffarnagar in the state last year. Taking note of the “revenge” remark by Shah, the EC had issued a notice to him for prima facie violation of the model code. Shah had denied having violated the model code and asked EC to reconsider its notice to him claiming that the remarks were not recorded in the right perspective. The ban on him was later lifted. At that time, Shah was the BJP in-charge of Uttar Pradesh.