Hate speech case: Right wing activist Kajal Hindustani sent to 14-day judicial custody

PTI, Apr 10, 2023, 1:16 PM IST

Acourt here in Gujarat has sent right wing activist Kajal Hindustani to 14-day judicial custody following her arrest for allegedly delivering a ”hate speech” on Ram Navami that caused a communal clash in Una town, police said on Monday.

Hindustani surrendered before the police in Una on Sunday. She was subsequently arrested and produced before a court in Una which rejected her bail plea and sent her to 14-day judicial custody, Una police station inspector NK Goswami said. The police did not seek her remand and she was sent to the Junagadh Central Jail, Goswami said. Hindustani’s speech on the Ram Navami festival on March 30 caused a communal clash in Una town on the night of April 1.

Police lodged an FIR against her on April 2 under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 153 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot) and 295 A (deliberate or malicious act intending to outrage religious feelings). Hindustani, who identifies herself as an entrepreneur, research analyst, debater, social activist, and nationalist and a ”proud Indian” on her Twitter bio and has more than 92,000 followers including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is a regular at events organised by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP). She is known for her fiery speeches targeting the minority community, including the one she delivered at a ‘Hindu Sammelan’ organised by the VHP on the occasion of Ram Navami. Communal tension prevailed in Una for two days after Hindustani’s speech which resulted in a clash between two communities and stone pelting on April 1 night.

Police had also lodged an FIR against 76 named persons and a mob of around 200 people under various IPC sections including 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 337 (rash or negligent act to cause hurt), 143 (Unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting) and 148 (rioting armed with deadly weapons).

”So far we have arrested 96 people in this connection,” Goswami said.