The Uttar Pradesh Police have booked actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s brother for a Facebook post on Sunday that allegedly hurt religious sentiments, PTI reported. The complaint was filed by an activist of the Hindu Yuva Vahini, who said Ayazuddin Siddiqui had uploaded an “objectionable” photo on the social media site.
Activists of the Hindu Yuva Vahini staged a protest on Monday in Budhana town of Muzaffarnagar district, where the case was filed. They demanded strict action against Ayazuddin Siddiqui.
An investigation is underway, Budhana Circle Officer Hariram Yadav said. Ayazuddin Siddiqui was booked under Section 153A (promoting enmity between different groups) of the Indian Penal Code.
Ayazuddin Siddiqui denied the allegations. He told ANI that he had seen a “derogatory” picture of Shiva on Facebook, to which he objected. “I confronted him [the person who posted the photo] about it and wrote you shouldn’t share posts that can hurt anyone’s religious sentiments,” Siddiqui said. “Instead, a case was filed against me. Charges should be investigated.”
The police said they were investigating if his phone was used to post the picture. “His comments condemned the derogatory picture but by mistake he may have copied the picture while commenting on it,” the police told NDTV.
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