BJP member Ashwini Upadhyay and five others have been arrested over violent anti-Muslim slogans raised at a protest held at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on Sunday.
Ashwini Upadhyay, believed to be one of the organisers of the protest, was questioned till late last night along with other accused.
The arrests followed outrage over videos that showed a group shouting egregious slogans threatening Muslims at Jantar Mantar, a protest site in the heart of Delhi.
“Five people including Ashwani Upadhyay to be examined in connection with inflammatory sloganeering near Jantar Mantar on Sunday,” said Delhi Police.
The matter will be handled as per the law and no attempts to spread communal disharmony will be tolerated, the Delhi Police said.
A video showing anti-Muslim slogans being raised during a protest at Jantar Mantar here is being widely circulated on social media, following which the Delhi Police registered a case in connection with the matter on Monday.
Hundreds of people had attended the protest organised by Bharat Jodo Aandolan at Jantar Mantar on Sunday.
The video shows a group of people shouting inflammatory slogans and threatening Muslims during the protest at Jantar Mantar.
Meanwhile, Ashwini has denied any involvement in the sloganeering. “I have submitted a complaint to the Delhi Police to examine the video which went viral. If the video is authentic, then strict action should be taken against the persons who were involved in it,” he said.
“I have no idea who they are. I have never seen them, never met them and neither called them there. Till the time I was there, they were not seen there. If the video is fake, then a propaganda is being circulated to defame Bharart Jodo Andolan,” he added.
According to Deepak Yadav, DCP, New Delhi, people who had gathered at Jantar Mantar had no permission. “It has come to our due notice that some people raised inciting and objectionable slogans as well. We have also received a video and have registered FIR in the case. We are carrying out further investigation into the matter. Necessary action will be taken at the earliest.” he said.
