Uttar Pradesh police will investigate Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP) leader Haji Yakoob Qureshi for his remarks condoning the Paris terror attacks when gunmen stormed a magazine office in the French capital and killed 12 people, officials said on Friday.
Qureshi had said anyone who disrespected the Prophet would meet the same fate as the journalists of French satirical newsmagazine Charlie Hebdo and offered to give a Rs 51-crore reward to the killers, sparking outrage, including among many Muslim politicians.
Sources said police and civil authorities discussed the issue with a state minister before lodging a case against Qureshi on Thursday.
“The case has been registered under section 505 of IPC, which is a non-cognisable offence, and the investigating team would examine every aspect of his statement before framing charges against him,” said Meerut inspector general of police Alok Sharma.
However, police are not sure about what action to take against Qureshi as the incident happened in a foreign country.
“It is a matter that belongs to foreign country. Hence, we would wait and watch before framing charges against him,” a senior police official said on condition of anonymity.
{{/usCountry}}“It is a matter that belongs to foreign country. Hence, we would wait and watch before framing charges against him,” a senior police official said on condition of anonymity.
{{/usCountry}}Bajrang Dal activists and college students burnt Qureshi’s effigy, protesting his comments and demanded stern action against the BSP leader.
Sources said BSP party chief Mayawati could also take action against the Meerut-based leader, although Qureshi’s office could not be reached for a confirmation.