Ayodhya: A group of students of the Saket College in Ayodhya have been booked under sedition charges after they allegedly raised 'Azaadi' slogans during their protest against the delay in announcing the dates of the students' union elections.
The police have registered a sedition case on the complaint of the college principal.
In his complaint, the principal of the college, N.D. Pandey, said that the students were raising anti-national slogans like 'le ke rahenge azaadi' (we shall not rest till we get freedom) on December 16.
However, the protesting students denied the allegation and said they were demanding 'azaadi' from the corrupt principal and anti-student system of the college.
Students were protesting against the college's decision not to hold students' union elections.
On the basis of the principal's named complaint, police booked Sumit Tiwari, Shesh Narayan Pandey, Imran Hashmi, Satvik Pandey, Mohit Yadav and Manoj Mishra under Sections 124 A (sedition), 147 (rioting), 188 (disobedience to order), 332 (causing hurt to deter public servant from duty), 342 (wrongfully confinement), 353 (assault on public servant), 427 (causing damage to property), 435 (mischief by fire or explosive substance) and 506 (offence of criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.
"They (students) were raising slogans of 'azaadi', they wanted to take azaadi by revolt and by violence, by burning the country. It was my duty to protect the motherland, therefore, I have filed the complaint against them," the principal told reporters.
'Azaadi' slogans - a hallmark of JNU students during their protests, became prominent during the last year's anti-CAA protests held across India. A number of protesters, most of them students, were charged and arrested on similar grounds for raising the Azaadi slogan.
Meanwhile, Abhas Krishna Yadav, the former president of Saket College students' union, defended the students and said, "Students were raising 'azaadi' slogans as they were seeking freedom from the corrupt principal and anti-student system of the college, and demanding to hold student union elections."
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