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Police lodge FIR against Kapil Mishra for objectionable tweet
New Delhi: The Delhi Police on Friday registered a case against BJP’s Model Town candidate Kapil Mishra over a controversial tweet.
New Delhi: The Delhi Police on Friday registered a case against BJP’s Model Town candidate Kapil Mishra over a controversial tweet.
The tweet likened the February 8 Assembly elections in Delhi to an “India vs Pakistan” contest and alleged that the rival political parties were creating a “mini Pakistan” in Shaheen Bagh. The state election office took exception to this and told the Delhi Police to lodge the FIR.
Delhi chief electoral officer Ranbir Singh said, “The remarks made by BJP candidate amount to violation of the provisions of the Representation of People Act. We asked the police to take necessary action.”
Terming it “highly objectionable”, the Election Commission had asked Twitter to take down Mishra’s post. As of 10pm Friday, Twitter was yet to delete it.
Kapil Mishra, a former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) member, in his reply to the Model Town returning officer’s (RO’s) showcause notice, said his tweet was taken out of context.
“I was responding to Manish Sisodia (Delhi’s deputy CM) ... who had stated that he stands with the protesters of Shaheen Bagh… My statement must be seen in the context of Pakistan’s attempt at sending their proxies to take undue advantage of a prevailing law and order situation in Delhi,” said Mishra in a three-page response filed with the RO.
The RO, however, did not find this satisfactory.
DCP (North-west) Vijayanta Arya said that an FIR under section 125 of the Representation of People Act has been registered against Mishra. “On receiving a complaint from the RO, an FIR has been lodged and investigation is on,” he said.
The controversial tweet was posted on Thursday.
On the same day, the RO issued a showcause notice: “The tweet (on January 23) that read ‘India vs Pakistan 8 February Delhi ---- 8 February ko Delhi ki sadko par Hindustan aur Pakistan ka muqabla hoga’ is a deemed violation of the provisions under the Model Code of Conduct. “
The showcause also referred to Mishra’s another tweet on the same lines as well as a statement he gave to television channels on the ongoing agitation in Shaheen Bagh.
However, Mishra said his remarks do not fall under the ambit of the MCC, as he was expressing his “general opinion” and did not make these statements during any election-related event.
Mishra said roads were encroached upon in Shaheen Bagh. People are not being allowed to go to schools, offices, hospitals and anti-India slogans are being raised. “I appeal to the protesters…to call it off…,” he said. “In this city people who create unrest and burn down public property are let off just like that. Deputy CM (Manish Sisodia) openly said he will stand with them (the protesters at Shaheen Bagh). I just expressed my opinion on the matter. A very intolerant atmosphere is being created in this city.”
