Chidambaram praises Delhi police for showing restraint in Arundhati Roy's case
Chidambaram praises Delhi police for showing restraint in Arundhati Roy's caseThe Delhi police got a pat on the back from Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on Monday for showing "restraint" in the Arundhati Roy inflammatory speech case.
In so many words: Home Minister P ChidambaramThe Home Minister commended the force for acting in accordance with the "letter and spirit of the law".
"Section 124(A) of the IPC (related to sedition) is for deterrence and punishment.
The spirit of the law and true interpretation of law is that unless there is direct incitement to violence, the state must show tolerance and forbearance. Delhi Police is acting in accordance with the letter and spirit of the law," Chidambaram said. The Booker winner author had reportedly made inflammatory comments over the Kashmir issue at a seminar in New Delhi on October 22.
The meeting was also attended by Separatist Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani. Amid public outrage over Roy's comments, the Delhi Police had sought the nod from the Home Ministry and legal experts on whether the author-turned-activist could be tried for sedition.
The seminar, held at the LTG auditorium on Tolstoy Marg, was disrupted by protests from a group Kashmiri Pandits supported by local Muslims.
| Insult to Tricolour |
| A young activist had filed a complaint at the Tilak Marg police station, accusing Geelani, Arundhati and the organiser of the seminar SAR Geelani of showing disrespect to the national tricolour. In his complaint, he had alleged that the trio provoked some people to tear the tricolour.
"The speeches made by Hurriyat leader Geelani and Arundhati Roy provoked some anti-national elements present at the seminar to tear the national tricolour. It is an abject disrespect to our national symbol," said Binay Singh founder of Youth United for Vibrant Action (YUVA). |
| Clueless cops |
| The local Tilak Marg police station was in the dark till a day ago about the seminar being organised by Prof SAR Geelani, who was earlier an accused in the Parliament attack case.
"It was only at about midnight that one of the special branch officers called the Tilak Marg police station, informing them about the gathering and only then they made arrangements to thwart any untoward incident," police sources said.
Senior Delhi police officers, on condition of anonymity said, "We had no intimation about the event and we had only a few hours to prepare ourselves and gather force. Apart from that we didn't even know what all is to be discussed in the seminar. We had no idea of the topic, subject of the seminar and what all was going to transpire there." |
