FIR filed against Mamata Banerjee for allegedly inciting religious sentiments
text_fields
New Delhi: An FIR has been registered against former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for allegedly inciting religious sentiments during a political rally held ahead of the recently concluded West Bengal Assembly elections.
The charges against Banerjee include promoting enmity between communities, criminal intimidation, and making statements with the intent to provoke a breach of peace. If proven in court, the offences carry a maximum punishment of three years’ imprisonment.
The complaint was filed by Tushar Kanti Das, a resident of Netaji Nagar, who alleged that Banerjee’s remarks at the rally were unclear and lacked proper 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 but felt compelled to raise the issue. “Someone had to protest,” he said.
The speech in question was delivered on March 9 at a dharna mancha at Esplanade. The complaint was filed nearly two-and-a-half months later, on May 20, and the FIR was registered on June 7 at Hare Street Police Station, which said the matter falls under its jurisdiction. It was initially registered as a zero FIR at the same station.
A senior Lalbazar officer confirmed the registration of the FIR, stating that Banerjee had allegedly delivered a “misleading speech” linked to criminal intimidation, intended to provoke a breach of peace and affect public tranquillity, communal harmony and the democratic structure of the state.
A few weeks ago, the Siliguri Police Commissionerate had also registered a separate FIR against Banerjee based on a similar complaint, according to the report.
