Kashmiri political activist Shehla Rashid has been booked for sedition over her comments about alleged human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir. Special cell of the Delhi Police has lodged a case against Shehla Rashid for her remarks on the ground situation in Jammu and Kashmir. The FIR against Shehla Rashid 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 for her remarks on the ground situation in Jammu and Kashmir. In a series of tweets, Shehla Rashid had claimed that the Indian Army was indiscriminately picking up men, raiding houses and torturing people in Jammu and Kashmir. Shehla Rashid had claimed that human rights abuses were being carried out in Kashmir to serve the agenda of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. The allegations had drawn sharp reactions. Shehla Rashid, however, had said she was ready to give the evidence when the Indian Army constitutes an inquiry. Shehla Rashid had accused the Indian Army of human rights abuses amid a clampdown in Jammu and Kashmir post the abrogation of Article 370. People are saying that Jammu and Kashmir Police has no authority on law and order situation. They have been rendered powerless. Everything is in the hands of paramilitary forces. One SHO was transferred on the complaint of a CRPF man. SHOs carrying batons. Service revolvers can’t be seen on them,” Shehla Rashid had tweeted. In another post, she wrote, “Armed forces are entering houses at night, picking up boys, ransacking houses, deliberately spilling rations on the floor, mixing oil with rice, etc.” The Indian Army has officially rejected Shehla Rashid’s claims and called them “baseless” and “unverified”. After the Army dismissed her claims, many accused Shehla Rashid of spreading fake news to disrupt peace in Kashmir. Supreme Court lawyer Alakh Alok Srivastava even filed a criminal complaint against Shehla Rashid over her allegations on the situation in Kashmir. In his complaint, Srivastava has sought her arrest for allegedly spreading fake news against the Indian Army and Government of India.
