Sedition charge against Hooda's aide for allegedly instigating jats

CHANDIGARH: Haryana police on Wednesday booked former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda's close aide Virender on sedition charges over an audio clip of his conversation in which he allegedly incited violence during the jat quota agitation.
An FIR has been registered in Rohtak against Virender and Man Singh Dalal, who also allegedly figured in the taped conversation, under various sections of the IPC, including sections 124-A (sedition) and section 120-B (conspiracy), Haryana Police DGP Yashpal Malik told the media here.
The have also been charged with IPC sections 153-A (promoting enmity between classes) and section 153-B (imputation, assertion prejudicial to national integration), he said.
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Though the exact date of conversation could not be ascertained, Virender himself had confirmed that it was his voice. He has, however, claimed that the audio clip was doctored to malign his as well as his party's reputation.
Virender has maintained that nowhere had he talked about instigating the jats or anyone.
Congress had served a show cause notice on the PCC delegate Virender after the audio clip came to light.
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The FIR against the duo has been registered on a complaint of a Bhiwani resident Pankaj Kumar, DGP said.
"There aim was not to get the reservation but to dislodge the government for obvious reasons,'' the complainant told TOI.
The DGP said that if other "conspirators" are found, they too will be booked and action will be taken against them as per law for attempts to disturb peace in the state.
In his complaint to the police, the complaint had elaborated on how the Jat agitations had started and how the politicians and bureaucrats have been playing which had put the rioters out of control as entire machinery collapsed.
Police said that investigations have started.
As many as 19 people have been killed and over 300 are injured as Haryana had come to total standstill on the account of agitation for Jat reservation which had turned into the caste violence as well rioting. Rohtak was one of the worst hit places where 4 youths were killed and 100 rioters were injured in group clash and police firing.
Click here to listen to the conversation
(Disclaimer: We cannot verify if the voice is of the person alleged to be talking)