UP Police books Twitter, journalists for circulating video, says tried to provoke communal unrest
Ghaziabad: The Uttar Pradesh Police have booked microblogging platform Twitter, a news portal and six persons in connection with the circulation of a video in which an elderly man narrates his ordeal after he was allegedly attacked by some people in Ghaziabad.
The FIR, which was lodged at the Loni Border police station in Ghaziabad around 11.30 pm on Tuesday on the basis of a complaint lodged by a local policeman, alleges that the video was shared with an intention to provoke communal unrest.
In the video clip, which surfaced on social media on June 14, the elderly man, Abdul Shamad Saifi, alleges he was thrashed by some young men and asked to chant 'Jai Shri Ram'.
However, the Ghaziabad police, who have arrested six persons, have ruled out a communal angle. They said the accused were unhappy about the 'tabeez' (amulet) he had sold to them.
The arrested youth have been identified as Kalloo and Adil. Apart from them, Polly, Arif, Mushahid and Parvesh Gurjar were also involved in the incident, Senior Superintendent of Police Amit Pathak said on Tuesday.
Later on Tuesday, the police lodged an FIR against Twitter Inc, Twitter Communications India, news website The Wire, journalists Mohammad Zubair and Rana Ayyub, Congress politicians Salman Nizami, Masqoor Usmani, Dr. Sama Mohammad and writer Saba Naqvi for sharing the clip.
"These people did not verify the truth of the matter and shared it online with a communal angle with an intention to disrupt public peace and create a divide between religious groups," the FIR states.
"Besides this, Twitter Inc and Twitter Communications India also did not take any measures to remove their tweets," it adds.
The FIR has been lodged under Indian Penal Code sections 153 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot), 153A (promoting enmity between groups on ground of religion, class etc), 295A (Deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious belief), 120B (criminal conspiracy), among others.
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Vijay says no to CM convoy until swearing-in: TVK
Chennai (PTI): TVK chief Vijay declined to accept the police convoy vehicles provided to Tamil Nadu chief minister as per protocol until his swearing-in, the party said on Thursday.
A police official confirmed that the CM convoy vehicles provided to him "as per protocol" following the announcement of the Assembly election results were returned and have not been withdrawn.
The official also said that arrangements were in place for the swearing-in ceremony.
The Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) clarified that its party founder Vijay had "personally requested that the convoy vehicles be returned". In a statement here, the TVK said: "Vijay conveyed that he would accept the official chief minister-level security only after forming the government with a decisive mandate".
Four convoy vehicles assigned to Vijay on May 4 after his TVK secured 108 seats in the Assembly polls returned from his residence following his request.
Even on May 6, the police had deployed security near his Panaiyur residence and in front of the Lok Bhavan here when Vijay called on Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar to stake his claim to form the government. Vijay did not use the government vehicle to meet the Governor.
