Inflammatory slogans at Jantar Mantar: Ex-Delhi BJP spokesperson Ashwani Upadhyay, 5 others arrested

NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police on Tuesday arrested six people in connection with inflammatory sloganeering near Jantar Mantar on Sunday.
They have been identified as former BJP spokesperson Ashwini Upadhyay, Vinod Sharma, Deepak Singh, Vinit Kranti, Preet Singh, Deepak.

Taking suo motu cognizance of videos circulating online in which some people are seen raising communal slogans at Jantar Mantar on Sunday, the Delhi Police had filed an FIR and begun a manhunt for the men.

Police commissioner Rakesh Asthana had ordered the area DCP and joint commissioner to take action.
Many of the people raising the slogans have been identified and teams were conducting raids to nab them, said an official.
The prime suspects are Uttam Malik, Vineet alias Kranti, Dipak Singh and Bhupender Tomar, who goes by the aliases of Pinky Chaudhary and Pinky Bhaiya, said an officer.
The objectionable slogans were raised at an event against “colonial laws” which was held near Jantar Mantar.
The police said they had not granted any permission for the protest which was called by lawyer Ashwini Upadhyay, a former BJP spokesperson.
Upadhyay is also likely to face action, an officer added.
The man wearing an orange kurta in the video has been identified as Malik.
Dipak Singh belongs to northeast Delhi while Pinky Bhaiya is from Ghaziabad.
He was earlier involved in an attempt to assault CM Arvind Kejriwal and also took responsibility for the violence at JNU last year. He belongs to a group called Hindu Raksha Dal.
Upadhyay has claimed that he did not raise the offensive slogans and that the incident did not happen till the time he was there. In a video message, Upadhyay said: “If the videos are correct, then the police must investigate.
Neither do I know the people seen in the video, nor did I call any of them. In fact, till the time I was there, no sloganeering happened. I think the videos were made to defame our protest. If at all the videos are fake, then it must be propaganda and the police must investigate."
"I have filed a complaint. I also appeal to the government to take strict action against people who spread disharmony. Their properties should be seized and they should be given longer jail terms," he added.
Deepak Yadav, the deputy commissioner of police (New Delhi), said: “A case under section 188 for violation of Covid guidelines, 153A (Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth) as well as other sections of IPC has been registered. Some of the people seen in the video have been identified."
Jaspal Singh, Joint CP New Delhi Range added that raids were being carried out to nab them.
Meanwhile, Okhla MLA Amanatullah Khan has written to Delhi Police demanding Upadhyay's arrest. He said that stringent sections like NSA or UAPA would have been slapped had the perpetrators been from other communities.
(With inputs from ANI)