The Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate on Friday registered a first information report against Trinamool Congress national general secretary and Lok Sabha member Abhishek Banerjee on charges of making provocative statements in some of his speeches posted on social media during the recent West Bengal Assembly elections, said a senior police official, requesting anonymity.
The case was registered in Bidhannagar on Friday on the basis of a complaint filed by Rajib Sarkar, a local resident, who alleged that Banerjee made “unparliamentary, unacceptable and inflammatory” statements against Union ministers and other parties. The complaint was filed on May 5, a day after the West Bengal Assembly election results were announced.
An FIR was filed, which H.T. reviewed. On a copy thereof, under sections 192 (deliberate or malicious provocation with intent to provoke a riot), 196 (promoting hostility, hatred or ill-will between different groups on grounds of religion, race, language or community), 351 (2) (criminal intimidation), 353 (1) (c) (creating, publishing or circulating false information, rumours, or reports with intent to promote or incite hatred, hostility or ill-will between religious groups or classes or different racial, linguistic or regional) in Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
He was also booked under Section 123(2) (any direct or indirect interference or attempt to interfere on the part of a candidate or his electoral agent, or any other person with the consent of the candidate or his electoral agent, with the free exercise of any electoral right) and 125 (promoting hostility between classes in relation to elections on grounds of religion, race, caste, community or language) of the Representation of the People Act.
No police officer or TMC commander has commented on the FIR so far.
