Naqvi was sentenced to one year in jail and a fine of Rs 4,000. However, he was then released on a surety of Rs 15,000.
Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi was convicted on Wednesday by a court in Uttar Pradesh for poll code violation six years ago. He was sentenced to one year in jail and a fine of Rs 4,000. However, Naqvi was then released on a surety of Rs 15,000.
Eighteen others were also convicted in the case along with Naqvi who was present in the court. Judicial magistrate Manish Kumar held Naqvi guilty under IPC sections 143 (unlawful assembly), 341 (wrongful restraint) and 342 (wrongful confinement), Section 7 of Criminal Law Amendment Act and Section 144 of CrPC.
The case relates to a demonstration by BJP workers led by Naqvi at Patwai area of Rampur parliamentary constituency in Uttar Pradesh at the time of campaigning for the 2009 Lok Sabha polls during which they allegedly breached the prohibitory orders in force and barged into a police station. They were demonstrating against the arrest of Rampur BJP chief and seizure of a vehicle of the party.
Police had lodged an FIR against 200 people, including Naqvi. Naqvi in his reaction to the court order said he respected the judiciary.
“In the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, a former District Collector from our party had been arrested. Some party workers had gone to meet him in jail and an FIR under IPC Section 144 (unlawful assembly) had been filed against the workers at that police station. Around 200 people were involved in the incident and the names of 20 people, including mine, were given in the FIR,” Naqvi told the media.
Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party leader Gaurav Bhatia termed Naqvi’s arrest as serious and accused the BJP’s UP leaders of violating the Model Code of Conduct.
“This actually shows how the BJP contests election, when their own minister has now been held guilty of being a member of unlawful assembly. It also raises serious question regarding the conduct of a minister. If a competent court has found him to be guilty of committing an offence, I think it is a serious matter,” he said.
“Leaders of the BJP, not just Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi but also Yogi Adityanath have violated the Model Code of Conduct during the UP by-polls. Therefore, this needs to be taken seriously and better conduct and behaviour is expected out of ministers,” he added.
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