It’s frivolous, politically motivated attempt to silence me, says Kashmir activist Shehla

New Delhi: JNU scholar-turned-Kashmiri activist Ms Shehla Rashid has termed the FIR as a frivolous and politically motivated attempt to silence her. She was referring to a sedition case filed against her.

“The FIR is a frivolous, politically motivated and pathetic attempt to silence me. I am a petitioner in the Constitutional challenge to the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution of India. Our petition in the Supreme Court makes a very strong case for the restoration of the same,” Shehla tweeted.

06 Sep, 2019

Statement on FIR against me filed by the Special Cell of Delhi Police

I have learnt from media reports that the Special Cell of the Delhi Police has filed an FIR against me for speaking out on the clampdown in Kashmir and the denial of basic rights to Kashmiris. pic.twitter.com/8GjJzCYo04

— Shehla Rashid شہلا رشید (@Shehla_Rashid) September 6, 2019

Her reaction comes after the Special of Delhi Police booked Ms Shehla under sedition charge for her tweets on alleged human rights violation in Kashmir on Friday.

The FIR against Ms Shehla has been registered under Sections 124A (sedition), 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on ground of religion), 153 (wantonly giving provocation with intention to cause riot), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), 505 (spreading rumours) of the Indian Penal Code.

Restrictions were imposed last month, and communication services were shut in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) before the Central Government announced the scrapping of Article 370 from the state. The Centre had also detained several Kashmir politicians, including Mr Farooq Abdullah, Mr Omar Abdullah and Ms Mehbooba Mufti.

Last month, Ms Shehla, in a series of tweets, described the current Kashmir situation as inhuman and undemocratic. She further alleged that the Armed Forces are ‘torturing’ civilians and creating panic in Kashmir valley.

Countering her criticism, the Indian Army said that the allegations were ‘baseless.’

Later, a Supreme Court lawyer Mr Alakh Alok Srivastava filed a criminal complaint against Ms Shehla. In his petition, he sought her arrest for allegedly spreading fake news against the Indian Army and Government of India. After facing severe criticism over her comments, Ms Shehla said she is ready to provide proof of allegations to the Indian Army.

In her statement released on Friday, Ms Shehla added: “In my tweets, I have mentioned that these are based on information received from people in the state. In the present situation, reporters are not allowed to report. Media, social media, telephonic and postal communication are gagged. It is important to put out narratives of the people so that people in the rest of India should know what is happening there. As a political activist, I was doing my job.”