The Mumbai police on Tuesday dropped charges against ‘protestor’ Mehak Mirza Prabhu who was spotted with a ‘Free Kashmir’ poster at the anti-CAA protests in Mumbai in solidarity with anti-CAA protestors of Delhi.
In the ‘C Summary’ report filed by the Mumbai police in the case registered against Mahek Mirza Prabhu, the police have reportedly said that they found “no malicious motive” in the complaint.
It should be noted that police files a ‘C Summary’ report when the case is neither true nor false or when the criminal case was filed due to mistake of facts or the offence complained about is of a civil nature.
“Free Kashmir” poster at the anti-CAA protest
For the unversed, Mehak Mirza Prabhu, who identifies herself as a ‘storyteller’, had appeared at the anti-CAA protest held at the Gateway of India in January this year with a “free Kashmir” poster.
The presence of “free Kashmir” poster at the protest led many to suspect that it is not merely a students’ protest against the JNU violence, but there were anti-national forces involved. As it had turned out, the DGISPR of Pakistan, Asif Ghafoor, had cited a report about the placard to declare that it was the ‘beginning of the end’ for India. In his tweet, he also claimed that Kashmir is Pakistan.
In response to the outrage and the negative messages that were put out against Prabhu for pushing anti-India agenda, Mumbai police had on January 7 filed an FIR against her under Section 153 (B) of the Indian Penal Code for “imputation, assertions prejudicial to the national interest”.
Maha Aghadi Govt in Maharashtra rush to defend the woman who held ‘free Kashmir’ placard during anti-CAA protest
Interestingly, soon after the FIR was registered, the Maha Aghadi government in Maharashtra had rushed to defend the woman. While Maharashtra Home Minister and NCP leader Anil Deshmukh had said that prima facie holding “Free Kashmir” poster did not look like the accused had any “anti-national intentions” and had said that he would review the FIR against the accused, Shiv Sena’s firebrand Sanjay Raut has stated that ‘free Kashmir’ posters did not mean actually ‘free Kashmir’ and they wanted only freedom from restrictions of internet services, mobile services and other issues.
Maharashtra government’s new tourism and environment minister Aaditya Thackeray had dismissed the ‘Free Kashmir’ placard at the protests and said that we need to “look at the larger picture”.
Moreover, the Shiv Sena, in its mouthpiece Saamana had also backed the accused despite the secessionist placard. “Mumbaikar Marathi girl lamented the plight of people of Kashmir in a peaceful manner. However, the Opposition is terming it as an act of treason. There can be no worse example by the Opposition parties,” wrote Shiv Sena.
After pushing her anti-India agenda, woman issues apology
Following the outrage, Mehak Mirza Prabhu, had issued an apology saying that the “Placard meant freedom to express themselves, freedom from the internet lockdown which many people have been complaining about. I was voicing my solidarity for the basic constitutional right”.
