Sedition Case Filed Against J'khand BJP Chief For Trying To ‘Destabilise The State Govt’

Reacting to the charge, Jharkhand BJP chief Deepak Prakash has dared the Soren government to arrest him within the next 24 hours.

PTI

Updated on: 1 November 2020 9:23 am

A sedition case was registered in bypoll-bound Dumka district against Jharkhand BJP chief
and Rajya Sabha MP Deepak Prakash on Saturday for allegedly trying to destabilise the JMM-Congress-RJD government in the state, police said.

The BJP leader had on Friday said in a press conference that the saffron party will form the government in the state in the next two-three months.

Reacting to the charges, Prakash, has now dared the state government to arrest him within 24 hours.

Based on a complaint lodged by Congress's Dumka district chief Shyamal Kishore Singh, a case under Sections 124A (punishment for sedition), 120B (criminal conspiracy), 504 (intentional insult to provoke breach of peace) and 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) was registered at the Dumka police station against Prakash for allegedly trying to destabilise the Jharkhand government, SP Amber Lakra said.

The statements of all persons concerned will be recorded and a thorough investigation will be conducted. The future course of action will depend on the probe, he added.

"I am prepared to get arrested. If the Hemant Soren government has guts, it must arrest me within 24 hours," Prakash told PTI. He said the state government is taking "provocative illegal action" as it's frustrated sensing its imminent defeat in the November 3 byelections in Dumka and Bermo assembly seats.

"The FIR lodged by the Congress and the JMM shows they don't have faith in the Election Commission. If they had any complaint against my press conference, they should have gone to the commission. Instead, they have used police power to influence the byelections," the BJP leader aaded.

JMM general secretary and chief spokesperson Supriyo Bhattacharya said, "We have ousted the BJP from power in Jharkhand and its rule in Bihar will also end soon,” adding that his party will “not let the BJP murder democracy and destabilise an elected government.”

In Hemant Soren's home turf Dumka, his younger brother Basant Soren is pitted against former cabinet minister Lois Marandi of the BJP. In the Bermo assembly constituency BJP's Yogeshwar Mahato is up against Anup Singh of the Congress.