The Delhi Police have filed a sedition case against activist Shehla Rashid for allegedly spreading misinformation about the Kashmir situation after the amendment to Article 370.
The Delhi Police said a First Information Report (FIR) was registered on Wednesday against Ms. Rashid based on a complaint by a lawyer at the Tilak Marg police station.
“FIR has been registered under IPC Section 124-A (sedition), 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), 153 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot),” said a police officer.
The case has been transferred to the Special Cell for investigation. Most of the tweets referred in the complaint were made around August 18.
In the compliant filed by Supreme Court lawyer Alok Srivastava, it was mentioned that Ms. Rashid, in her series of tweets, mentioned alleged human rights violations by the Indian Army to serve the agenda of the ruling BJP. However, the Army has officially denied the allegations leveled by Ms. Rashid and called them baseless and unverified.
Mr. Srivastava has sought her arrest for allegedly spreading fake news against the Indian Army and Government of India.
'FIR frivolous, politically motivated'
However, Ms. Rashid, in her statement on the FIR against her, said that she had learnt from media reports that the Special Cell of the Delhi Police has filed an FIR against her for speaking out on the clampdown in Kashmir and the denial of basic rights to Kashmiris.
“The FIR is a frivolous, politically motivated and pathetic attempt to silence me. I am a petitioner in the Constitutional challenge to the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution of India, and our petition in the Supreme Court makes a very strong case for the restoration of the same,” said in her statement.
She further stated that in her tweets, she has clearly mentioned that these are based on information received from people in the State. In a situation where reporters are not allowed to report, media, social media, telephonic and postal communication is gagged, it is important to put out narratives of the people, so that people in the rest of India know what is happening there.
“As a political activist, I was just doing my job. In the Twitter thread for which I'm being targeted, I have highlighted the positive work of the administration in ensuring facilities to the people. That itself is proof enough that I have no motive except to shine light on the truth, which is corroborated by several media reports published in India and elsewhere.
"I appeal to everyone to stand in solidarity with the people of Kashmir in the fight for restoration of their rights,” her statement read.
