Srinagar: National Conference (NC) leader Hilal Akbar Lone was on Tuesday booked under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for alleged ‘hate speech’ at a rally during District Development Council (DDC) elections in north Kashmir.
Lone, son of NC MP from Baramulla Akbar Lone, was arrested on Monday from MLA hostel in Srinagar, where he was detained since December 25, days after DDC poll results were announced.
Official sources said Lone was on Tuesday booked under UAPA for alleged ‘hate speech’ during DDC election campaigning in north Kashmir. “The NC leader was booked under FIR number 02/2021 under sections 153 A/ 188/ 505 IPC 13 of UAPA registered in Police Station Hajin,” they said.
They said Lone was on Monday shifted from MLA hostel in Srinagar to Police Station Hajin.
On December 25 last year, Lone was detained in Sumbal area in north Kashmri district of Bandipora and then shifted to the MLA hostel here.
Meanwhile, former CM and NC vice president Omar Abdullah lashed out at the centre for booking party leader under UAPA.
“The BJP has a completely different standard when it comes to hate speech from its own leaders. They can call for hands to be cut off, people to be murdered & it’s fine. Hilal Lone makes a speech and anti-terror laws are used to book him,” Omar tweeted.
Reacting to the development, Mehbooba tweeted, “Centre continues to shamelessly book Kashmiri mainstream leaders under UAPA for hate speech’. “The truth is that there won’t be enough room in Indian prisons if their own ministers, lawmakers and noxious IT Cell were brought to book for inciting communal passions against minorities”.