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Ex-Himachal MLA booked for sedition, sent to four-day police remand
Bharti was arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department wing of Himachal Pradesh Police on the charges of sedition for posting ‘objectionable remark’ against Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Former Himachal Pradesh legislator and Congress leader Neeraj Bharti, who was slapped with sedition charges, was sent to four-day police custody by a local court on Saturday.
Bharti was arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) wing of Himachal Pradesh Police on the charges of sedition for posting ‘objectionable remark’ against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
After the hearing, Bharti said that asking a question to the government was not a crime and he will continue his battle against the fascist regime.
The Congress leader’s wife Monika Surjewala Bharti, who was also present in the court, said that the case was part of a political controversy against her husband.
The court will hear the bail petition of the Congress leader on Monday.
Bharti, in a series of posts on Facebook, had made ‘offensive remarks’ against the Prime Minister and RSS after the violent face-off between India and China in Galwan valley of Ladakh.
A Shimla-based lawyer Narender Guleria had lodged a complaint against Bharti with the Crime Branch, CID on June 20.
The former Jawali legislator was booked under Sections 124A (sedition), 153a (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and 505 (statements conducing to public mischief) of Indian Penal Code.
