Jammu: An FIR has been registered against a senior Jammu and Kashmir BJP leader for allegedly hurting the religious sentiments of a community, officials said on Tuesday. The case was registered after a video, which surfaced online, purportedly showed Vikram Randhawa making the remarks, they said. The party's Jammu and Kashmir unit has taken note of the video of former MLC Randhawa and served him a show-cause notice on Monday, asking him to explain his position within 48 hours and submit a public apology.
An FIR has been registered against Randhawa at the Bahu Fort Police Station based on a written complaint by advocate Muzaffar Ali Shah. It has been registered under sections 295-A and 505 (2) of the Indian Penal Code and further investigation is on, a police official said. Section 295-A pertains to deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious belief, while section 505 (2) gives powers to the police to arrest anyone who makes a statement that creates or promotes enmity, hatred or ill-will between classes.
Randhawa is accused of making disparaging comments over the incidents of celebration of Pakistan's win over India in a cricket match in the ongoing T20 world cup in Dubai. In the show-cause notice served to Randhawa on Monday, the BJP disciplinary committee, headed by Sunil Sethi, asked him to explain his position within 48 hours.