Jat stir in Haryana: Sedition case against protester for Modi beheading remark
Rohtak superintendent of police Pankaj Nain said Sombir was booked after police took cognisance of the videos that went viral on WhatsApp and was reported by some newspapers.
Police have registered a case of sedition against a man for allegedly calling to behead Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a protest by Jats seeking reservation in education and government jobs in Rohtak.
Sombir, a resident of Jassia village in Rohtak district, was booked under sections 124 A (sedition) and 153 A (promoting enmity between groups) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) late Monday night.
“Agar aap kaho to hum Modi ka sar kaat denge lekin aapka sar nai jhukne denge (If you say, we will behead Modi but won’t let you down),” Sombir reportedly said while addressing a large gathering in response to an announcement made by Jat leader Yashpal Malik.
He had made the statement on Sunday when the Jat community was observing ‘Balidaan Divas’ in presence of a well-attended gathering.
However, All India Jat Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti (AIJASS) president Malik immediately tried to control the situation and said that their intentions were to lead a peaceful protest.
In his defence, Sombir said he was a protester so it was natural for him to make announcements against the government. He has been an active member of the teams organising the protests this year. He was active during the protests organised in July last year as well.
Rohtak superintendent of police Pankaj Nain said Sombir was booked after police took cognisance of his videos that went viral on WhatsApp and was reported by some newspapers.
Jats at Jassia village also gave a call to boycott a Hindi daily, which is allegedly owned by a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) minister, for reporting the ‘beheading remark’.
Nain had earlier said protesters were given permission to hold sit-in protests along NH-71 A on the condition that they will refrain from making any inciting or derogatory remarks.
The second round of talks between protesting jats and government panel on Monday failed to break the ice, but the government agreed to form a four-member panel to look into the demand of withdrawal of pending cases against Jats for violence during last year’s stir.
AIJASS, which is spearheading the quota stir this year, demanded the withdrawal of all cases against Jats, the release of 60 people arrested during last year’s violence and regular government jobs to at least one family member of 31 people killed in the violence, and increase in compensation to the victim families.
The AIJASS has decided to continue with the protests, which entered Day 24 on Tuesday. They have already given a call to take the fight to Delhi.
Malik has announced to hold a national level rally in Delhi on March 2 and they have decided to gherao Parliament after Holi. Besides, they will also observe February 26 as “black day”.
