Inflammatory and anti-Muslim slogans were raised at a gathering organised by former BJP spokesperson and Supreme Court lawyer Ashwini Upadhyay at New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar area on Sunday, August 8. Videos of the rally went viral on social media, where participants — hundreds in number — can be heard shouting slogans, calling for the killing of Muslims. After the videos triggered outrage, the Delhi police filed an FIR, but against unknown persons, despite videos showing faces of the participants as well as Ashwini Upadhyay and actor and BJP leader Gajendra Chauhan in attendance at the gathering.
Ashwini Upadhyay has denied that any kind of slogans were raised when he was present at Jantar Mantar. According to the Indian Express, the politician and Supreme Court lawyer had called participants to join his ‘Bharat Jodo Movement’ rally, being held to seek the end of “British-era laws” in India and calling for one uniform law across the country. The report adds that Upadhyay did not have prior permission from the police to hold the rally. However, he had posted multiple invitations for the same on his social media accounts.
The police told Indian Express that they had earlier denied permission to hold the rally, and police deployment was arranged assuming a turnout of around 50 people. However, many more people reached Jantar Mantar, and soon, incendiary slogans were raised. Here is a video from the rally:
अश्विनी उपाध्याय की अगुआई में आज जंतर मंतर पर यह हुआ. यह आदमी उत्तम मालिक है और खुद को यति नरसिंहानंद सरस्वती का शिष्य बताता है. पूरी रिपोर्ट @nlhindi पर जल्द ही pic.twitter.com/Og7i3XiOFn
— Shivangi Saxena (@shivangi441) August 8, 2021
A separate video shows a reporter with the news channel National Dastak being accosted by several people present at the rally who forced him to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram.’ Anmol shared visuals of the same on his Twitter handle
मुझसे डरा धमकाकर "जय श्री राम"बुलवाने की कोशिश की गई. जब मैंने मना किया तो मेरे साथ धक्का मुक्की भी किया गया. आप लोग वीडियो में खुद ही देख लीजिए@NationalDastak @Profdilipmandal pic.twitter.com/iswtGbff72
— Reporter Anmol Pritam (@anmolpritamND) August 8, 2021
Ashwini Upadhayay has tried to distance himself from the slogans, claiming that they were raised after he left the spot and that he did not know who raised the slogans. The BJP leader took to Facebook to say that he has asked the Delhi police to take action.
#भारत_जोड़ो_आंदोलन
— Ashwini Upadhyay (@AshwiniUpadhyay) August 9, 2021
प्रधानमंत्री जी से निवेदन है कि अंग्रेजी कानून समाप्त करें और समान शिक्षा समान चिकित्सा समान कर संहिता समान दंड संहिता समान श्रम संहिता समान पुलिस संहिता समान न्यायिक संहिता समान नागरिक संहिता समान धर्मस्थल संहिता समान जनसंख्या संहिता लागू करें @narendramodi pic.twitter.com/2yBChEj608
According to ANI, the Delhi police have received one of the videos that show the mob calling for the murder of Muslims. “People who had gathered there had no permission. It has come to our notice that some people raised inciting and objectionable slogans. We also received a video. We've registered an FIR and we are carrying out further investigation. Necessary action will be taken,” DCP New Delhi Deepak Yadav told ANI.
FIR registered against unknown persons after a video emerged showing inflammatory slogans being raised at Jantar Mantar during a march for "Colonial Laws & Make Uniform Laws" yesterday: Delhi Police sources
— ANI (@ANI) August 9, 2021
The FIR has been filed under Sections 153A (Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc) and Section 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the Indian Penal Code as well provisions of the Disaster Management Act as most people at the rally were not wearing masks and were seen flouting physical distancing norms.