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FIR against journalist Wagle for remarks over Bharat Ratna for Advani: Police
The BJP’s threat came in the wake of Wagle’s alleged post after Bharat Ratna’s announcement to Advani referring to him and Prime Minister as “rioter”
A first information report (FIR) was registered in Pune against journalist Nikhil Wagle for allegedlymaking offensive remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP leader LK Advani after it was announced that the latter would be conferred with India’s highest civilian honour, Bharat Ratna, police said on Friday.
The FIR was filed after a local BJP leader lodged a complaint against Wagle.
“Nikhil Wagle has been booked under sections 153A (promoting enmity between different groups), 500 (defamation) and 505 (statements conducing to public mischief) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at the Vishrambaug police station. We are probing the matter further,” a senior officer said.
Also Read: LK Advani to receive Bharat Ratna honour, says PM Modi
Meanwhile, BJP city unit president Dheeraj Ghate has warned not to allow speech of Wagle at Friday’s “Nirbhay Bano” event, even as Congress city unit chief Arvind Shinde has written a letter to the Pune Police commissioner to ensure additional security at programme venue while appealing them to protect expression of freedom.
The BJP’s threat came in the wake of Wagle’s alleged post after Bharat Ratna’s announcement to Advani referring to him and Prime Minister as “rioter”.
“Pune city BJP president has threatened to disturb our Nirbhay Bano meeting tomorrow evening at Sane Guruji Smarak, if police don’t ban the meeting. Friends, this meeting is against undeclared emergency. We need to save our democracy,” Wagle said in a post on X on Thursday.
