The Lucknow police on Sunday invoked the stringent National Security Act (NSA) against Mohammad Salim and Satyendra Kushwaha for burning the copy of the holy Hindu scripture Ramcharitmanas in the Vrindavan area of Lucknow on January 29. The NSA permits the police to detain the accused for one year without any charge.
थाना पीजीआई पर पंजीकृत अभियोग में की गयी कार्यवाही के सम्बन्ध में-@Uppolice pic.twitter.com/7p0JgmWcKP
— LUCKNOW POLICE (@lkopolice) February 5, 2023
“In connection with case no. 75/23 in relation to burning copies of Shri Ramcharitmanas on January 29, 2023, the Lucknow Police has ordered the detention of two accused namely, Salim and Satyendra Kushwaha at Lucknow district jail, under section 3, sub-section 2 of the National Security Act (NSA) against for preventing them from taking part in such actions which are contrary to the maintenance of public order,” the Lucknow Police said.
Mohammad Saleem and Satyendra Kushwaha are currently lodged in Lucknow district jail since their arrest on January 30. Notably, the duo were among the five accused who were arrested by the Lucknow police under IPC sections 120-B, 142, 143, 153-A, 295, 295-A, 298, 504, 505(2) and 506 in connection with the case.
Earlier the UP police had booked 10 known and several unidentified people in the case. The people who were booked were members of Akhil Bharatiya OBC Mahasabha and Samajwadi Party leader Swami Prasad Maurya. The police have said that a case was registered against these individuals for “promoting enmity” after they allegedly burnt photocopies of the pages of Ramcharitmanas in the Vrindavan area of the city on January 29.
It may be recalled that the OBC Mahasabha members had burnt a copy of the Hindu holy scripture to show their support to Samajwadi Party leader Swami Prasad Maurya who recently stirred controversy by saying that the Ramcharitmanas should be banned.
