BJP has a different standard for hate speech from its leaders: Omar
The BJP has a completely different standard when it comes to hate speech from its leaders, National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah alleged on Tuesday.
Abdullah’s remark came after his party colleague Hilal Lone was arrested under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for allegedly delivering a “hate speech” at a rally during last year’s district development council elections in Jammu and Kashmir’s Bandipora.
“The BJP has a completely different standard when it comes to hate speech from its own leaders. They can call for hands to be cut off, people to be murdered and it’s fine. Hilal Lone makes a speech and anti-terror laws are used to book him,” Abdullah tweeted.
Referring to Lone’s arrest, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said there would not be enough room in the prisons of the country if the BJP’s ministers, lawmakers and members of its “IT Cell” were brought to book for inciting communal passions against minorities.
“GOI (Government of India) continues to shamelessly book Kashmiri mainstream leaders under UAPA for ‘hate speech’. The truth is that there won’t be enough room in Indian prisons if their own ministers, lawmakers and noxious IT Cell were brought to book for inciting communal passions against minorities,” she said in a tweet.
Lone, the son of National Conference’s Member of Parliament Mohammad Akbar Lone, was arrested on Monday from the MLA hostel here where he was being held captive since December last year, a senior police official said on Tuesday.
He was booked under various sections of the UAPA in an FIR registered at a police station in Hajin in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district.
The official said the case relates to a speech he made during the public rally while campaigning in the DDC polls in Hajin.
On December 25 last year, he was detained in Bandipora’s Sumbal area and then shifted to the MLA hostel here.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Dear Reader,
Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance.
We, however, have a request.
As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed.
Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard.
Digital Editor
