Criminal complaint seeking FIR against Owaisi over 'seditious' speech

A criminal complaint was filed against AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday at the Karkardooma court in the national capital, for alleged offences of sedition and causing enmity between different groups.

The Police has filed its status report in which it states that the complainant has not given any strong evidence on basis of which investigation can be proceeded.

A Delhi Court had earlier sought an Action Taken Report (ATR) from the police on a criminal complaint requesting the registration of an FIR against Owaisi for his alleged sedition offences.

The complaint was filed before Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Munish Markan.

The development came after Owaisi allegedly made a statement earlier this month that "even if somebody puts a knife at me, I will not say 'Bharat Mata ki jai'"

The complainant in his complaint alleged that on March 13, Owaisi had voluntarily said, "Even if somebody puts a knife at me, I will not say 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai" and his expression showed 'disaffection and includes disloyalty and all feeling of enmity.'

The petitioner had sought a direction to the SHO Karawal Nagar Police Station to lodge an FIR against Owaisi for the alleged offences under Sections 124A (sedition) and 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race etc) of the Indian Penal Code.