FIR by Amravati Police against 9 over provocative slogans, songs on Sunday

According to the complaint, the song which advocates beheading persons who insult the Prophet was allegedly played at Paratwada’s Mahaveer Chowk during the procession led by Sheikh Hasan Sheikh Kader

The Amravati police on Tuesday evening registered cases against nine people for allegedly playing provocative songs during an Eid Milad-Un-Nabi procession in Paratwada city on Sunday evening. The action was taken after a police officer Manoj Kadam lodged a complaint at Paratwada police station on Monday.

BJP’s Rajya Sabha member Anil Bonde said his party was not against the procession but the mentality that advocated beheading (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

According to the complaint, the song which advocates beheading persons who insult the Prophet was allegedly played at Mahaveer Chowk during the procession led by Sheikh Hasan Sheikh Kader (52). A video clip in which people were heard raising the slogan had also emerged.

The complaint said that the slogans and the songs could cause communal tension. BJP’s Rajya Sabha member Anil Bonde said the controversial slogans were raised during the procession. “What kind of mindset is this? We are not against taking out the procession. However, we are against the mentality which sought to kill someone,” said Bonde.

He alleged that many people participating in the procession were linked to the Popular Front of India (PFI) and demanded their arrest.

The Paratwada Police said they are attempting to identify the persons raising slogans with the help of the video clip.

Police inspector Santosh Tale said some more people are likely to be booked and arrested. “We have registered cases under multiple sections including hate speech. On Tuesday evening, the police started removing the swags and flags put up in parts of the city for the procession. Tale said some people objected to the police action but it continued with adequate deployment of police.

He said the situation was tense Achalpur and Paratwada but was well under control. Two teams of State Reserve Police Force have been deployed to control the situation. Amravati and Paratwada witnessed communal tension on at least three occasions over the last two years, including one in Amravati in November last which led to the imposition of a curfew and suspension of mobile internet.

In April this year, curfew was again imposed in the twin cities of Achalpur and Paratwada in the district in the wake of a clash that broke out after BJP city president Abhay Matne, 43, and six-seven party workers hoisted a saffron flag at Dhula gate. Two policemen were also injured in the stone-throwing that followed. The clash led to stone pelting in which two policemen were injured. Police used tear gas to disperse a crowd of over 100 people from both sides following which a curfew was imposed.