BJP functionary booked in UP's Ballia for 'communal' Facebook posts

Ballia: An FIR has been registered against a local BJP office-bearer in Uttar Pradesh’s Ballia district for allegedly uploading objectionable Facebook posts targeting a particular religious community and hurting their sentiments, police said on Friday.

According to police, the FIR was filed late on Thursday night against Anil Soni based on a written complaint submitted by Naim Zafar, a resident of Rasra town, and six others.

The complaint accused Soni of making offensive remarks against Prophet Muhammad in one of his posts. Another post said, "Summer is here, drink sugarcane juice only after checking Aadhaar cards, or else…”, which was perceived as a communal jibe by the complainants.

The FIR has been registered under relevant provisions of the BNS for “deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings”.

The complainants alleged that Soni used derogatory language against Allah, which deeply hurt the sentiments of the Muslim community.

The posts triggered widespread anger among some local residents, prompting a protest at the Gandhi Park in Rasra on Thursday evening.

The protesters demanded immediate legal action against the accused.

Confirming that legal proceedings were underway, Rasra police station in-charge Vipin Singh said, “We have registered an FIR. Necessary legal action will be taken in the matter.”

The district president of BJP’s OBC Morcha, Arjun Chauhan, confirmed that Soni is the Rasra town head of the party's OBC wing.