Punjab polls: Sidhu’s adviser Mohd Mustafa booked for provocative speech

Mustafa, the husband of cabinet minister Razia Sultana, the Congress candidate from Malerkotla for Punjab polls, has denied the charge

The Malerkotla police on Sunday booked Mohammad Mustafa, former Punjab DGP and principal strategic adviser to state Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu, for his alleged provocative speech, which went viral on social media on Saturday.

The Malerkotla police on Sunday booked Mohammad Mustafa, former Punjab DGP and principal strategic adviser to state Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu, for his alleged provocative speech, which went viral on social media on Saturday.

Mustafa is husband of Congress candidate from Malerkotla Razia Sultana.

Malerkotla senior superintendent of police (SSP) Ravjot Kaur Grewal said: “The police registered a case for provocative speech on Saturday night. We have also sent a report to the Election Commission on Sunday morning.”

The case was registered under Section 125 of the Representation of the People Act (promoting enmity between classes in connection with election) and 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony) of the Indian Penal Code at the City-1 police station, Malerkotla.

The FIR has been lodged on the complaint of a police officer in Malerkotla.

A video of Mustafa making the purported remarks was shared by BJP leaders Sambit Patra and Shazia Ilmi on their Twitter handles on Saturday. Mustafa said he had gone to an event of some Congress workers nearby and warned the AAP workers, who were also from the Muslim community.

The purported video clip was played by the BJP at a press conference on Saturday. “I swear by Allah that I will not allow them (AAP) to hold any event. I am a ‘kaumi fauji (soldier of community)’. I am not an RSS agent who will hide in the house out of fear. If they (AAP) again try to do such a thing, I swear by Allah I will thrash them in their homes,” the video allegedly showed him saying at the meeting held on January 20.

Mustafa said he used the word “fitno” (mischief makers) for AAP workers belonging to the Muslim community and there was no question of warning Hindus. “There was 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,” Mustafa said in a tweet.

In another tweet, he hit out at the BJP, saying his “nationalist” credentials were superior than those from the party. “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,” he wrote.