Objectionable slogans were raised against a religion during a Muharram procession in Madhya Pradesh's Khandwa, police said on Monday. An officer said the police have not yet come across any report of pro-Pakistan slogans being raised during the Taziya procession on August 20. Police have registered a case against 20 persons on charges of rioting and promoting enmity between different groups on the ground of religions, he said.
"On August 20, a crowd gathered on the occasion of Muharram for the Tazia procession under the Kotwali police station area. During the procession, some people raised objectionable slogans against a religion. Based on a complaint, a case against some people has been registered," city superintendent of police (CSP) Lalit Gathre told reporters. When asked about the nature of the slogans, he said they were "about the Hindu religion". Some people have been identified on the basis of video clips, he said. A case was registered under sections 147 (rioting), 295A (deliberate and malicious intention of outraging the religious feelings of any class), 153A (Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion), 294 (obscene act) and 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) against 20 people under the Indian Penal Code, the CSP said.
Five people have been identified. There are 10-15 more who were involved in this act and they are being identified, he said. When asked if slogans were also raised in favour of Pakistan, the CSP said no such fact has emerged so far. "But if we receive such videos, we will take legal action," he added. Last week, pro-Pakistan slogans were allegedly raised in Ujjain during a Muharram event, following which ten people were arrested and over a dozen people booked under sections 124(a) (sedition) and 153 (provocation which can cause riot) of the IPC.
On Sunday, the Ujjain district administration invoked the National Security Act (NSA) against four out of the ten people. In another case, over 130 people were booked in MP's Khargone for taking out a 'tazia' procession in violation of Covid-19 norms and also for allegedly misbehaving with officials, police said on Monday.
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