FIR against event where Delhi MP gave ‘boycott’ speech

A senior police officer, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said that the organisers did not seek permission to hold the event, and added that a case under Section 188 of the IPC has been registered against the organisers. The FIR did not pertain to the contents of the speeches made the event.

A first information report (FIR) has been registered against the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and others who organised a public event in east Delhi’s GTB Enclave area where alleged hate speeches were delivered by some Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and religious leaders, police officers aware of the matter said on Monday.

BJP MP Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma. (PTI Photo)

A senior police officer, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said that the organisers did not seek permission to hold the event, and added that a case under Section 188 (disobedience to an order lawfully promulgated by a public servant) of the Indian Penal Code has been registered against the organisers. The FIR did not pertain to the contents of the speeches made the event.

The meeting was organised by VHP and other organisations to protest the murder of 25-year-old Manish who was allegedly killed by three Muslims in east Delhi’s Nand Nagri area.

VHP spokesperson Vinod Bansal said, “We don’t have any information about the FIR. But if it is about not taking permission, then the police are victimising the victims (the Hindu community). They are not taking action against the Islamist Jihadi forces who have murdered members of Hindu community but filing cases for not taking permission to hold the event. We organised the event after discussing it with the DCP, as the meeting was to be attended by MPs, MLAs, religious leaders and other members of Hindu community. The police have failed to take action against those who murdered at least five members of the Hindu community in the past five years.”

In a purported video which was widely shared on the social media, BJP member of Parliament Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma -- without naming Muslims -- is heard calling for the “total boycott” of one community.

Loni (Uttar Pradesh) BJP MLA Nand Kishor Gurjar was seen on video making derogatory references to the Muslim community.

The comments sparked a political row with the Congress slamming the BJP MP.

“BJP MP Parvesh Verma orders the people of Delhi to financial boycott Muslims. Will @DelhiPolice act against this man for inciting hatred amongst communities? Does PM Modi condone this speech? Is this what BJP meant by Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas!” Congress spokesperson Dr Shama Mohamed tweeted on Sunday.

Asaduddin Owaisi, president of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), shared a video of the speech and alleged that BJP has “started a war against Muslims”.

A BJP spokesperson refused to comment on the speeches at the event and the FIR registered against the organisers of the event.

Verma on Monday said, “I did not name any community. I just said those involved in the killing of Hindus need to be boycotted.”

The BJP MP was slapped with a campaign ban ahead of the last Delhi assembly elections when he said protesters at Shaheen Bagh were capable of rape and murder. He was later banned for a day when he called chief minister Arvind Kejriwal a terrorist.