A sedition case has been filed against a Samajwadi Party MP Shafiqur Rahman Barq in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal district for allegedly comparing the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan with India’s freedom struggle.
“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,” Charkhesh Mishra, the Superintendent of Police in Chambhal district, said in a video statement released today.
“The Taliban is a terrorist organisation 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, NDTV reported.
The Sambhal MP had issued a statement on August 16 hailing the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan and comparing their assault on the country with India’s freedom struggle.
He had said that the Taliban is fighting for the freedom of their country and it is an internal matter of Afghanistan.
“When India was under British rule, our country fought for freedom. Now Taliban wants to free their country and run it. Taliban is a force that did not allow even strong countries like Russia and the US to settle in their country,” Barq had said.
However, Barq today issued a statement saying he did not make any such statement and added that his remarks 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.
The Taliban took effective control of Afghanistan Sunday two decades after they were removed following the U.S. invasion.
They took over the presidential palace and said it plans to soon declare a new Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, hours after, American-backed President Ashraf Ghani fled the country.
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