Delhi Police registered an FIR against the Delhi Minorities Commission Chairman on Thursday under sedition charges for allegedly making ‘provocative’ remarks on social media.
Delhi police Joint commissioner (special cell) Neeraj Thakur said that an FIR has been registered against Zafarul Islam Khan under Indian Penal Code sections 124 A (sedition) and 153 A (Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony), reported Hindustan Times.
Khan has refused to comment and said that he has not seen the FIR.
He had issued an apology on Thursday, April 30, Khan wrote on social media saying his tweet on April 28 wherein he thanked Kuwait for taking note of the ‘persecution’ of Indian Muslims in the context of the northeast Delhi violence was insensitive and ill-timed. He said that although it had ‘pained’ some people’, it was never his intention, reported News18.
Statement by Dr. Zafarul-Islam Khan (1 May 2020) pic.twitter.com/9d5609e8rS
— Zafarul-Islam Khan (@khan_zafarul) May 1, 2020
According to the report, the FIR was filed on the complaint of a Vasant Kunj resident. Through the assistant commissioner of police (ACP) Safdarjung Enclave, the complaint reached the Lodhi Colony office of the anti-terror squad, special cell.
Khan was slammed over his post on alleged ‘persecution’ of Muslims in India.
‘I realise that my tweet was ill-timed and insensitive given our country facing a medical emergency and fighting an unseen enemy. I apologise to all whose sentiments were hurt,’ Khan said.
Further, Khan said that a section of media had ‘distorted and fabricated’ his tweet’s content. The BJP has now demanded that Khan be removed from the post of Delhi Minorities Commission chairman. At a meeting with Lt Governor Anil Baijal on Thursday, April 30, a delegation of Delhi BJP MLAs demanded registration of a case against Khan.
Also Read: Kanpur Lawyer Arrested On Sedition Charges For Calling Yogi Adityanath ‘Terrorist’
