FIR sought against Jalandhar man for 'provocative remark' on social media

Following communal tension between Hindu and Muslim communities in Jalandhar since Friday night, the Shiv Sena, Punjab, has demanded that the police should register an FIR against Ayub Khan, a Jalandhar resident, for allegedly posting a provocative video on social media.

Senior state vice-presidents of the Shiv Sena Inderjit Karwal and Rajesh Palta along with state spokesperson Vipin Sharma and city president Ankur Bedi addressed the media today, condemning Ayub’s alleged remarks. They said at a time when Punjab’s atmosphere is already tense after the Jalandhar incident, Khan’s video has further fuelled the fire by making inflammatory statements against the Hindu community.

Inderjit Karwal said Khan’s comments amounted to a direct challenge to the police, administration and government, claiming that his supporters would act as they wished without restraint. “Such provocative and threatening statements are criminal in nature. Our country runs according to the Constitution, not on the diktats of street hooligans,” Karwal asserted.

Palta added that the Hindu youth in Jalandhar, who had raised the slogan of “Jai Shri Ram,” had committed no offence, yet extremist elements attacked him under the guise of constitutional rights. He asked the Jalandhar police for registering an FIR to maintain law and order but urged that all named accused be swiftly arrested and dealt with according to law.

Party spokesperson Vipin Sharma remarked that so-called “jehadi elements” must remember that the Partition happened on religious grounds. “If such elements have no faith in the Constitution, they are free to move to Pakistan — the Shiv Sena will gladly make the arrangements,” Sharma said.

City president Ankur Bedi also demanded immediate action and arrest of Ayub for allegedly trying to incite the Hindu community through his social media posts.

The Shiv Sena leaders declared that Lord Ram is the soul of Bharat, and any insult to him would not be tolerated. They warned the government to deal strictly with extremist forces, cautioning that any negligence could endanger peace in the border state. “Punjab must learn from the examples of Kashmir and Bengal,” they said.