Samajwadi MP booked on sedition charges

Samajwadi Party MP Shafiqur Rehman Barq has been booked for sedition following his recent remarks allegedly defending the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan and equating it with India's own freedom struggle, police said on Wednesday. He was charged under Indian Penal Code section 124A (sedition) following a complaint from BJP leader Rajesh Singhal on Tuesday, Superintendent of Police Chakresh Mishra said.

Following registration of the case, Barq on Wednesday said he was quoted out of context and wrong charges have been levelled against him. "I am with the policies of India," he said. Singhal in his complaint said that Barq's "controversial statement comes in the category of sedition", he said. The MP has been also booked under sections 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language) and 295A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs), Mishra said.