9 SP Workers Booked in UP's Sant Kabir Nagar Over Protests on Shah's Ambedkar Remarks

Sant Kabir Nagar: A case has been registered against nine Samajwadi Party workers and others for allegedly blocking roads during a protest here against Union Home Minister Amit Shah's recent remarks on BR Ambedkar, police said on Sunday.

The FIR was registered at Khalilabad police station late on Saturday night under various sections of the BNS including 189(2) (unlawful assembly), 126(2) (wrongful restraint), 223 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), and 221 (obstructing public servant in discharge of duty), they said.

Khalilabad police station SHO Satish Kumar Singh said that on Saturday several SP workers had come to the collectorate office to give a memorandum addressed to President Droupadi Murmu to the district magistrate demanding resignation of Shah.

After giving the memorandum, several workers had started a demonstration and allegedly blocked the road, the SHO said.

Singh said that on a complaint of Lalit Kant, in-charge of Bardahia Bazar police outpost, a case has been registered against Rahul alias Badal Yadav, Raja Yadav, Shailendra Yadav, Azim, Manishank Yadav, Kanhaiya Yadav, Vijay Yadav, Yusuf Kamal and Ram Darash Yadav.

The Samajwadi Party staged statewide protests on Saturday denouncing Shah over his remarks on Ambedkar in Parliament.

Several lawmakers took part in these protests and submitted memorandums to President Droupadi Murmu through district magistrates, demanding an apology from Shah, and his resignation.

Shah has been under fire from several opposition parties since Tuesday over a comment he made referring to Ambedkar during a debate on the Constitution in the Rajya Sabha.

Shah had said, "Abhi ek fashion ho gaya hai - Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar. Itna naam agar Bhagwan ka lete to saat janmon tak swarg mil jata" (It has become a fashion to say Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar. If they had taken God's name so many times, they would have attained heaven for seven lifetimes).

The next day, the BJP leader held a press conference and accused the Congress of twisting facts and distorting his comments.

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