Expelled BJP leader Dayashankar Singh on Tuesday moved the Allahabad High Court bench in Lucknow seeking a stay on his possible arrest and challenging the FIR lodged against him by BSP leaders for using “derogatory” language against their party chief Mayawati.
“The petition is likely to come up for hearing on July 28,” the petitioner’s counsel Dileep Kumar Srivastava said.
An FIR was lodged against Mr. Singh on July 20, at Hazratganj police station in Lucknow under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act for passing “derogatory” comments against Ms. Mayawati.
The complaint, which was lodged by BSP National Secretary Mewalal Gautam, alleged that Mr. Singh’s remarks had hurt the feelings of BSP workers and the Dalit community across the country and were aimed at provoking them.
Referring to Mr. Singh’s comments telecast on national TV channels, he had said they were so derogatory that they could not be mentioned in the complaint and so a CD of the speech was being submitted.
“Singh was aware that his offensive comments could trigger a strong reaction and riot,” the complaint said, adding this amounted to an offence under the SC/ST Act and a case was needed to be lodged against him.
Mr. Singh, who was State BJP vice-president, was expelled by the party last week for six years in the wake of the storm triggered by his remarks against the BSP chief.
