Sedition Charges Slapped on Ex-State Governor in India's Uttar Pradesh Over Remarks on State Gov't

In July of this year, the Supreme Court of India slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's federal government over its misuse of the sedition law. The court observed that indiscriminate use of Section 124A (Sedition) in the Indian Penal Code is like a saw in the hands of a carpenter who cuts the entire forest instead of a tree.

A former Governor of India's Uttar Pradesh has been slapped with sedition charges for his derogatory remark about State Chief Yogi Adityanath's state government. 

The Uttar Pradesh Police filed a First Information Report (F.I.R.) against Aziz Qureshi, who had served as head of the state of Uttar Pradesh in 2014, following a complaint filed by a member of the state's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Akash Saxena, at Civil Lines Police Station in Rampur District on Sunday night.

Qureshi has been a senior member of India’s main opposition party Congress. He also served as the 15th State Minister of Mizoram state in 2014-15 and as State Minister of Uttarakhand from 2012-2015.

On Saturday, Qureshi was in Rampur to meet Tazeen Fatima, wife of Azam Khan, leader of the state’s main opposition party, Samajwadi.

While talking to the media, Qureshi compared the Yogi Adityanath-led government with "demons".

Saxena, in his complaint, said that the remark by Qureshi is getting traction on social media, which can create tension between two communities and even lead to communal riots.

The state police have slapped him with sections 153 A for promoting enmity between two groups on grounds of religion, race etc, 153B for imputations, assertions prejudicial to national integration, 124A sedition and 505(1)(B) for intent to cause fear or alarm to the public.