Book five Uttar Pradesh ministers, court tells police

LUCKNOW - Five Uttar Pradesh ministers, along with five others, are likely to be booked by police after a local court in Uttar Pradesh’s Bahraich district ordered action against them over a blasphemous article published in a journal.

Criminal case are likely to be registered against the five ministers as they figured among the list of patrons of Hindi monthly Ambedkar Today.

The Mayawati government’s ministers likely to face action are: Naseemuddin Siddiqui, Swami Prasad Maurya, Babu Singh Kushwaha, Daddu Prasad and Paras Nath Maurya.

The blasphemous article published in the May issue of the monthly in question had condemned various Hindu rituals and flayed Hindus for following certain practices.

Among others who are likely to be booked are Paras Nath Maurya’s son Rajeev Ratna, who was the chief editor-cum-publisher of the journal, and his employees, including the author of the article. The journal is published from Jaunpur district.

Taking cognizance of an application filed by local activist Santram Singh, Bahraich Chief Judicial magistrate Surya Prakash Dwivedi directed police Friday to lodge a first information report against the accused.

The court at Bahraich, some 130 km from Lucknow, said upheld the plea that they were accused of hurting the religious sentiments of another community, with the intent to vitiate the communal environment.

The complainant is the district president of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP). He first filed a complaint with the police, which however refused to act. Following this he approached the court.

Complainant Santram Singh has sought to point out how the magazine was supported by the state government that had released advertisements worth lakhs of rupees to it.