A 28-year-old man from Srinagar was allegedly thrashed by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s “supporters” in Delhi’s Connaught Place on Thursday afternoon, when he was raising slogans in support of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah and the Delhi Police.
According to a First Information Report (FIR) registered at Connaught Place police station on Thursday, seen by HT, complainant Fahim Nazir – a resident of Ghat Shalimar in Srinagar – alleged he sustained several injuries in the assault and that a poster he was carrying was torn during the incident. The poster was carrying slogans honouring the country, armed forces, Delhi Police, the prime minister and the home minister, he said.
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The FIR, seen by HT, said the alleged incident took place around 1.45pm in K Block, Outer Circle, Connaught Place. Nazir subsequently approached the police with a written complaint.
In his complaint, Nazir said he is a supporter of the prime minister and alleged the assault took place despite him not raising any slogans against the country.
{{/usCountry}}In his complaint, Nazir said he is a supporter of the prime minister and alleged the assault took place despite him not raising any slogans against the country.
{{/usCountry}}“Rahul Gandhi's workers at Connaught Place ...sustained many injuries,” the complaint states, adding that he was “badly beaten up” by the group.
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Explaining the slogans he had been raising, Nazir told the police he was chanting “long live the Prime Minister”, “long live the home minister,” and “long live the Delhi Police.” He alleged the poster he was holding, which carried slogans honouring the nation and its institutions, was also torn up.
He added that he had not raised any slogans against the country and was exercising his right to express support for the government and the police.
“As a citizen of this country and a fan of the Prime Minister, I will not let the nation turn into Nepal, Bangladesh, or Sri Lanka,” he wrote, before requesting the police to act on his complaint.
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The complaint names Rahul and his associates, while the allegation of assault is directed at people the complainant described as Gandhi’s workers.
Police have registered the case under sections 115(2), 126(2), 351(2) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), relating to voluntarily causing hurt, wrongful restraint, criminal intimidation and acts done by several persons respectively.