Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India] : A case has been registered against folk singer Neha Singh Rathore at Hazratganj police station under serious charges, including sedition, following her remarks on the recent Pahalgam terror attack.
The FIR, filed under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, and Section 69A of the Information Technology (Amendment) Act, 2008, stems from Rathore’s social media post dated April 23. In her post, Rathore accused the Modi-led government of engaging in caste- and religion-based politics, alleging that the BJP was “collecting votes in the name of the Pulwama attack” and warning that “the same will be repeated in the case of the Pahalgam attack.”
The terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22 left 26 people dead, including a Nepali national, and triggered nationwide outrage.
The complaint against Rathore was filed by poet Abhay Pratap Singh, also known as Abhay Singh, who accused her of making posts capable of spreading caste-based hatred and anti-national sentiments. According to the FIR, Rathore’s repeated posts could “disrupt communal harmony and negatively influence public sentiment against the nation.”
The FIR cites the following sections of the BNS, 2023: 196(1)(a), 196(1)(b), 197(1)(a), 197(1)(b), 197(1)(c), 197(1)(d), 353(1)(c), 353(2), 302, and 152, alongside Section 69A of the IT Act, which pertains to online content regulation.
The Lucknow police have initiated an investigation, and further legal proceedings are underway. Authorities have yet to release an official statement from Rathore’s side.