Hyderabad: Charminar police have registered a case against well-known poet Imran Pratapgarhi for allegedly using ‘inciting’ language during his speech and poetry session on Monday night.
He was the main attraction in the meeting-cum-poetry session which was organised to protest against CA-NRC and NPR at Quli Qutub Shah Stadium.
Police have also registered cases against two other persons for reportedly defying police rules.
Taking a suo-moto action, S Guruswamy, Sub-Inspector at Charminar police station, filed a complaint with the Station House Officer. He alleged that the Additional Commissioner of Police (Law and Order), Hyderabad City, had given permission to conduct the Mushaira on February 24 at the stadium with certain conditions. According to the rules, the mushaira should have ended within the permitted hours from 6 pm to 9 pm. The other condition was that there shall be no provocative speeches or slogans “which can hurt the feelings of any section of the public.”
The police alleged that the organizer of the Mushaira Syed Saleem of Raza-E-Elahi Foundation and former Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen corporator turned Congress leader Khaja Bilal, had obtained the permission. The organisers ended the programme at 9:48 pm which was beyond the permitted time limit.
According to the complaint during the meeting Poet Imran Pratapgarhi uttered, “MUJHE HAIRATH HAI KI IS HYDERABAD MEIN KOI SHAHEEN BAGH KYU NAHI HAI, (I am surprised why there is no Shaheen Bagh in Hyderabad) which according to the police were “provocative and may have caused fear among any section of the public. It was also an offence against the public tranquility.”
Police have registered a case under IPC sections 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) and 505 (1) (with intent to incite, or which is likely to incite, any class or community of persons). Further investigation is underway.