Nod to prosecute Arundhati Roy under UAPA 'misuse of power': Sharad Pawar

Sharad Pawar. File Pic

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Saturday described as 'misuse of power' the Delhi Lieutenant Governor's sanction to prosecute author Arundhati Roy under the stringent UAPA for an alleged provocative speech in 2010, reported the PTI.

Sharad Pawar was speaking to reporters during a joint press conference with Maha Vikas Aghadi allies Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan.

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According to the PTI, when asked about Delhi L-G VK Saxena's sanction to prosecute Arundhati Roy under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, or UAPA, for an address at an event 14 years ago, Sharad Pawar said, "This is nothing but misuse of power."

Besides Arundhati Roy, VK Saxena on Friday also gave the green signal for action under UAPA against former Central University of Kashmir professor Sheikh Showkat Hussain.

Arundhati Roy, a Booker Prize-winning author, and Sheikh Showkat Hussain had been named in an FIR registered on October 28, 2010.

The two had allegedly made provocative speeches at a conference organised under the banner of 'Azadi - The Only Way' on October 21, 2010, in New Delhi.

"The issues discussed and spoken about at the conference propagated the separation of Kashmir from India," an official said on Friday, the news agency reported on Saturday.

Last October, the L-G had granted sanction to prosecute them under section 196 of CrPC for commission of offences punishable under different sections of the Indian Penal Code: 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony), 153B (imputations, assertions prejudicial to national-integration) and 505 (statements conducing to public mischief).

Those who delivered speeches at the conference included Syed Ali Shah Geelani, SAR Geelani (anchor of the conference and prime accused in the Parliament attack case), Roy, Hussain and Telugu poet and Varavara Rao.

NC, PDP disapproves of prosecution sanction against Arundhati Roy, ex-professor under UAPA

Meanwhile, the National Conference (NC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have expressed their disapproval of the prosecution sanction against author Arundhati Roy and a former professor in Kashmir under the stringent UAPA for allegedly making provocative speeches at an event in Delhi in 2010.

According to officials, the FIR against Roy and former Central University of Kashmir professor Sheikh Showkat Hussain was registered following the orders of the Court of Metropolitan Magistrate, New Delhi.

Expressing disapproval of the move, the National Conference (NC) stressed the need to uphold the fundamental right of every citizen to free speech as guaranteed by Article 19 of the Constitution.

(with PTI inputs)