Shah reportedly told a crowd of largely Hindu voters that it was time to seek revenge by casting their ballots at the national election
Indian police have charged the president of India’s ruling political party, Amit Shah, over a speech that allegedly inflamed religious tensions during the national election campaign, an officer said.
Shah, leader of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), was charged for the speech he made at a rally in northern Uttar Pradesh state that was torn apart last year by deadly Muslim-Hindu riots.
“The charge sheet against Amit Shah has been filed by the investigating officer,” deputy superintendent of police Yogendra Singh said in the district of Muzaffarnagar where the riots occurred.
Shah, a key confidante of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was credited for his role in the BJP winning a landslide victory at the elections in May over the centre-left Congress party run by the Gandhi dynasty.
Police filed the chargesheet on Wednesday in a local court in Muzaffarnagar, under sections of the criminal code that include making a statement that intends to cause religious outrage.
The charges also include promoting tensions between different religious groups and appealing for votes on religious grounds, police officer Singh said.
Shah, who was chief strategist in the electorally critical state of Uttar Pradesh during the campaign, was not present in court to hear the charges.
In his speech, Shah reportedly told a crowd of largely Hindu voters that it was time to seek revenge by casting their ballots at the national election.
He branded the then centre-left government as one “that protects and gives compensation to those who killed Hindus”.
More than 50 people were killed in the sectarian unrest in Muzaffarnagar district, where several BJP members also faced investigation of inciting violence against minority Muslims.
The speech was seen by political rivals at the time as an attempt to polarise voting along religious lines in the Hindu-majority country.
Narendra Modi committed Crimes against Muslims in Gujarat in Hindustan were so Horrible such a person can not be a chef in a state proclaiming biggest democracy Report must be filed against Narendra Modi in ICJ International Court of Justice in the Hague Netherlands
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