Delhi LG nod to prosecute activists for burning copies of Constitution

Delhi Lt Governor V K Saxena has given his nod to prosecute two activists for allegedly burning copies of the Constitution and insulting the SC/ST community during a protest in 2018, sources said on Tuesday.

Saxena has approved the prosecution of the accused under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, Delhi Police sources said.

The accused had also uploaded videos of the protests on social media, they said.

The L-G has given sanction to prosecute the accused persons in the case registered on August 10 under sections of the SC/ST (POA) Act and Prevention of Insults to National Honours Act, 1971.

These are special statutes and police require L-G nod to book the accused under the acts.

"Taking a very serious view against incidents of insults to Schedule Castes and Schedule Tribes and the Constitution, the L-G has sanctioned prosecution of the accused -- Krishan Mohan Rai and Ashutosh Kumar -- activists of 'Youth Equality Foundation' and 'Aarakshan Virodhi Party' for acts of insult committed during a protest on August 9, 2018.

"These two persons along with others had shouted slogans 'Aarakshan Murdabad', etc. and also tore and burnt copies of the Constitution in a protest against SC/ST Act Amendment Bill and reservations at Parliament Street on the said date," a Delhi Police source said.

"These prosecution sanction will help the police take the case to a logical conclusion by bringing the guilty to the book. The initial FIR in this regard was filed on the complaint of Anil Tanwar, national in-charge of 'Akhil Bhartiya Bheem Sena'," the source added.