New Delhi: Uttar Pradesh Police has charged a Samajwadi Party-Rashtriya Lok Dal alliance candidate with sedition claiming that it found videos of his supporters shouting, "Pakistan zindabad." Bijnor candidate Dr Neeraj Chaudhary has said that his supporters were actually hailing his aide Aqib Ansari with, "Aqib bhai zindabad" slogans.

Polling will be held in Bijnor in the second phase on February 14.

Members of rightwing Twitter, including verified accounts, tweeted a video clip purportedly of Chaudhary's campaign claiming they heard, "Pakistan zindabad" or "long live Pakistan" slogans.

The video shows men progressing in a procession down a road with houses on either side, indicating that it was taken during door to door campaigning. While the audio is unclear in the video clip, the words, "Aqib bhai zindabad" or "long live, brother Aquib" can be heard.

Indian Express has reported that the "Aqib bhai" in question is the husband of a Bijnor corporator and a close associate of Chaudhary's.

Chaudhary, a medical doctor and a first time candidate for the Rashtriya Lok Dal, has blamed the Bharatiya Janata Party's 'IT cell' for “twisting the slogans” and claimed that the police did not even hear the video before registering the FIR.

Station House Officer (SHO) of Kotwali Bijnor Radhay Shyam was quoted by PTI as having said that the, "The audio and the video of the video clip will be examined."

Additional SP (Bijnor) Dr Pravin Ranjan Singh told Indian Express the case has been lodged “on the basis of preliminary enquiry”.

In addition to the sedition charge against him (under section 124 A of the Indian Penal Code), he has also been charged with insulting religious beliefs (295 A), promoting enmity between various groups (153 A) and various sections of the Epidemic Disease Act and Disaster Management Act.

Reacting to the registration of the case against the party candidate, RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary in a tweet in Hindi said, "Voters have to be careful! This election is #bhaichara (brotherhood) versus BJP! In #NewIndia 'Akif Bhai' Zindabad is presented as 'Pakistan Zindabad'..."

"Our Bijnor candidate, Chaudhary Neeraj is a doctor. He is a nobleman. These foolish ('moorkh') are trying to prove him a traitor by doctoring the video," he said in another tweet.

The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.