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Government

UP Police Invoke National Integrity Law Against Mohammed Zubair Over 'X' Post

The FIR, filed by Ghaziabad police in October, stems from a complaint by Udita Tyagi, general secretary of the Yati Narsinghanand Saraswati Foundation.

UP Police Invoke National Integrity Law Against Mohammed Zubair Over 'X' Post

Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair. Image: @zoo_bear/X

The Uttar Pradesh police have invoked a law concerning acts that threaten India’s sovereignty, unity, and integrity against fact-checker Mohammed Zubair over a post on social media platform X, highlighting alleged hate speech by Hindu extremist leader Yati Narsinghanand.

Reports indicate that on Wednesday (November 27), the investigating officer informed the Allahabad High Court that Section 152 of the BNS Act had been added to the FIR against Zubair, Bar and Bench reported.

This section addresses actions that endanger the sovereignty and unity of India. Additionally, Section 66 of the IT Act, which pertains to computer-related offenses, has also been included.

The FIR, filed by Ghaziabad police in October, stems from a complaint by Udita Tyagi, general secretary of the Yati Narsinghanand Saraswati Foundation.

Tyagi alleged that Zubair shared an older video of Narsinghanand to provoke violence against him by Muslims.

The complaint followed widespread protests by Muslims in Uttar Pradesh over videos of Narsinghanand making derogatory remarks about Prophet Muhammad and calling for the burning of the Prophet’s effigies during a Ghaziabad event on September 29.

According to PTI report, Zubair has challenged the FIR in the Allahabad High Court, seeking protection from coercive action. In his writ petition, he argued that his post aimed to alert authorities to Narsinghanand’s statements and seek legal action, rather than incite violence.

Zubair also pointed out that Narsinghanand was out on bail in a hate speech case at the time, under conditions prohibiting him from making statements that promote communal disharmony.

Zubair contended that sharing publicly available videos to demand accountability does not amount to defamation. The next hearing in the case is scheduled for December 3, reported Live Law.

Section 152 of the BNS Act stipulates life imprisonment or a sentence of up to seven years for acts that incite secession, rebellion, or separatist activities, or that endanger India’s sovereignty or unity.

Zubair, a co-founder of the fact-checking platform Alt News, has faced multiple legal cases in the past. In June 2022, he was arrested over a 2018 social media post, sparking criticism from civil society, opposition parties, and international observers, who viewed it as an attack on dissent and independent journalism.

In a statement, Alt News expressed solidarity with Zubair, condemning what it described as “relentless legal intimidation” and the misuse of state machinery to target individuals and organizations exposing hate speech and misinformation.

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