The UP Police has filed a sedition case against a Samajwadi Party MP and 2 others in the state’s Sambhal district over alleged remarks that compared the Taliban to India’s freedom fighters.
On Monday, the Samajwadi Party’s Shafiqur Barq – the Lok Sabha MP from Sambhal had allegedly told the reporters that the Taliban “want Afghanistan to be free” and “want to run their own country”.
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Barq, as per a report by PTI, had called the Taliban a ‘force that did not allow Russia or the US to establish themselves in Afghanistan’, and said that the Taliban’s actions were ‘an internal matter’.
“They want to be free. This is their personal matter. How can we interfere?” he was quoted by PTI. Apparently, he had also said that when the British occupied India, ‘the entire country fought for independence.
The S.P. of Sambhal district, Charkesh Mishra, in a video statement released today said, “A case was registered late last night against Shafiqur Rahman Barq and two others for provocative comments about the Taliban. The complainant said the Taliban was compared to Indian freedom fighters and their victory was celebrated.”
“The Taliban is a terrorist organization as per the Indian government and this (the alleged remarks) can be counted as sedition. We have filed an FIR (first information report),” he added.
However, Barq issued a statement today, in which he has said that he did not make any such remark and that his comments had been misinterpreted.
“I didn’t make any such statement (comparing Taliban with Indian freedom fighters). My statement has been misinterpreted. I’m a citizen of India, not of Afghanistan… so I’ve no business with what is happening there. I support my government’s policies,” he was quoted by news agency ANI UP.
Barq’s remark was also criticized by Deputy C.M., Keshav Prasad Maurya, who compared Barq’s remarks to that of Pakistani P.M. Imran Khan’s comments after the Taliban gained control of Afghanistan and President Ghani fled the country. Khan had said, “… in Afghanistan… they have broken the shackles of slavery.”
“Anything can happen in the Samajwadi Party. There are people who cannot sing ‘Jana Gana Mana’… someone might support the Taliban, others could level allegations on police after terrorists are caught. This is appeasement,” Keshav Prasad Maurya said outside the Assembly building in Lucknow.
“If this statement has been given (Mr. Maurya said he had not personally heard the alleged statement) then there is no difference between that person and Imran Khan,” he added.