Senior Superintendent of Police, Meerut Ravidra Gaur, said here on Saturday that the function in which Sakshi Maharaj, MP, allegedly made derogatory comments against the Muslim community had no permission. Mahendra Das, organiser of the event, was hence booked along with the MP.
“It was a religious function, and they had no permission to make political statements; so we have also named the organisers in the FIR,” Mr. Gaur told The Hindu .
The FIR was registered at the Sadar Bazaar police station after the police took cognisance of the incident and lodged it on the complaint of sub-inspector Ram Kumar.
Sakshi Maharaj and the organisers have been booked under various Sections of the Indian Penal Code — 295 A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings), 153 B (imputations, assertions prejudicial to national integration), 298 (uttering, words, etc., with deliberate intent to wound religious feelings), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 505 (statements of public mischief) and 171 F (punishment for undue influence or impersonation at an election).
Report to U.P. poll officer
A Meerut district official confirmed that a report of the event had been sent to U.P. Chief Election Officer T. Venkatesh. “The organisers had no permission to organise such an event,” the official said. The model code of conduct came into force in U.P. earlier this week after the announcement of the dates for the Assembly elections.
Later in the day, Sakshi Maharaj said he had not targeted any community but stuck to his argument on population control. He “should get a reward” as he was a bachelor.
“I had said the population of the country has climbed to 132 crore, but the land is not increasing. There is a need for control. People need to come out of the jatigat kichad (generic slush) and start respecting women. Mothers are not machines. Triple talaq will not work any more, nor will four wives and 40 children,” he told a news agency.
