PRAYAGRAJ: The Allahabad high court on Friday granted protection from arrest to former governor of Uttar Pradesh Dr Aziz Qureshi, against whom an FIR was lodged in a sedition case for making derogatory remarks against UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath.
Hearing a writ petition filed by Dr Qureshi, a division bench comprising justice Pritinker Diwaker and Justice Mohammad Aslam directed to list this case on October 6 for the next hearing.
In the writ petition, Dr Qureshi had sought quashing an FIR filed against him by a local Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Akash Kumar Saxena at the Civil Lines police station in Rampur district on September 5, 2021.
During the course of hearing, the UP government’s counsel requested the court that he may be given three days' time to seek instructions and to summon the case diary.
Appearing for the petitioner, his counsel said that he had no objection to it and submitted that considering the facts and background of the case and the facts that the petitioner is a former governor of Uttar Pradesh and also of two other states, had held various important assignments, one of the most prominent figures of the country and an old aged person of about 82 years, be protected by some interim order, so that he may not suffer an irreparable injury and may not be harassed.
On this, the court fixed October 6 as the next date of hearing and observed, "At the request of state counsel, list this case on October 6, 2021. Considering the facts and circumstances of the case, protection from arrest to the petitioner is granted till the next date of hearing."
It is to recall that Dr Qureshi has been booked for sedition over his alleged derogatory remarks against the state government.
In his complaint, Akash Kumar Saxena had alleged that after visiting Azam Khan’s house and meeting his wife, Dr Qureshi made derogatory statements against the state government and the chief minister that could create tension between two communities and unrest in society.
Dr Qureshi was booked under sections 153A (promoting enmity between two groups on grounds of religion, race), 153B (imputations, assertions prejudicial to national integration), 124A (sedition), and 505(1)(B) (intent to cause fear or alarm to the public).
Dr Qureshi, a senior Congress leader, had served as the governor of Mizoram from 2014 to 2015. He also had charge of Uttar Pradesh for some time in June 2014.
