FIR Against Mamata Banerjee for Allegedly Inciting Religious Sentiments at Poll Rally
The Wire Staff
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New Delhi: An FIR has been lodged against former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee for allegedly inciting religious sentiments at a political rally held ahead of the recently concluded West Bengal assembly elections.
The charges against her include promoting enmity between communities, criminal intimidation, and intent to provoke breach of peace, offences that carry a maximum jail term of three years if established in court.
The complaint was filed by Tushar Kanti Das, a Netaji Nagar resident, who alleged that Banerjee's remarks at the rally lacked clarity and context.
"It is alleged that... Mamata Banerjee... while addressing a political rally, made statements cautioning the public not to be misled by the alleged 'misleading publicity' of the Bharatiya Janata Party. However, it was not made sufficiently clear as to what specific misinformation or misleading publicity was being referred to," Das was quoted as saying by The Telegraph.
"She was the chief minister at that time. Holding such a post, she was saying that one community would eradicate another had she and her party not been there. This type of statement is enough to cause a riot," he added.
The complainant, a senior citizen who runs a business, said he had no political affiliations, adding but "someone had to protest."
The speech in question was delivered on March 9 at a dharna mancha at Esplanade. The complaint was lodged nearly two and a half months later, on May 20, with the FIR eventually registered on June 7 at Hare Street police station, where police said the incident falls under its jurisdiction. It was initially registered as a zero FIR at the same station.
A senior Lalbazar officer confirmed the registration, stating that Banerjee had "delivered a misleading speech pertaining to criminal intimidation intended to provoke breach of peace, affecting public tranquillity, communal harmony and the democratic structure of the state."
A few weeks ago, the Siliguri Police Commissionerate had registered a separate FIR against Banerjee on a similar complaint, as per the report.
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