Folk Singer Neha Singh Rathore Booked For Sedition Over Social Media Post On Pahalgam Attack
The complaint alleges that her posts targeted a particular faith community and could affect national integrity.
Folk singer Neha Singh Rathore has been booked in a case of sedition by Lucknow police over her social media post in the wake of a terrorist attack in Pahalgam.
The FIR was lodged based on a complaint alleging that her "provocative" social media posts targeted a particular faith community, reported PTI.
Complainant Abhay Pratap Singh alleged that Rathore's posts on her X handle can affect national integrity.
"In this situation, singer and poetess Neha Singh Rathore, using her Twitter (now X) handle @nehafolksinger made some objectionable posts that can adversely affect the national integrity and made repeated efforts to incite one community against another based on religion," the Singh said.
The complaint was submitted at the Hazratganj police station in Lucknow.
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Charges Against Neha Singh Rathore
On the basis of the complaint, the police registed a case against the folk singer on multiple charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including attempting to promote sectarian animosity, disturbing public tranquillity and endangering the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India, police said.
Sections of the Information Technology Act have also been invoked against her in the FIR.
While BNS does not explicitly mention sedition as was specified in the colonial-era Indian Penal Code Section 124A, the new criminal code deals with similar charges of endangering the sovereignty, unity and integrity of the country under section 152.
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Neha Singh Rathore's Post 'Viral In Pakistan'
The FIR was lodged after the singer's post was shared by an X handle, run by a Pakistani journalists' group, where she claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be "seeking votes in Bihar in the name of Pahalgam attack", likening it to the 2019 Pulwama terror attack in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed, reported India Today.
She has been embroiled in controversy in the past as well for similar social media posts.
The FIR filed against her also states that her "anti-national" statements are going viral in Pakistan where she is being praised for her attacks on the Modi government, as per the report.
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