Delhi Police Add National Security Charges Against Protesters for Pro-Maoist Slogans at Anti-Pollution Rally

The FIR reported that protesters chanted alleged Maoist slogans during the demonstration.

New Delhi:

Delhi Police have added charges of 'imputations and assertions prejudicial to national integration' to one of the FIRs filed against protesters who allegedly shouted pro-Maoist slogans and deployed pepper spray against police officers during an anti-pollution rally at India Gate on Sunday, an official confirmed on Tuesday.

In court proceedings on Monday, Delhi Police stated that the arrested protesters had chanted slogans praising deceased Maoist commander Madvi Hidma.

Authorities have registered two separate FIRs – one at Kartavya Path police station against six individuals and another at Sansad Marg police station naming 17 people.

The additional section was included in the Kartavya Path FIR. Following their court appearance before two magistrates, 22 protesters were remanded to judicial custody.

The newly incorporated Section 197 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) addresses imputations and assertions prejudicial to national integration, covering charges for spreading false information that threatens India's sovereignty, unity, or security.

According to the FIR, protesters shouted alleged Maoist slogans including "Hidma amar rahe," "Kitne Hidma maroge, har ghar se Hidma nikalega," and "Hidma lal salaam," which prompted the addition of Section 197 for statements considered harmful to national integration.

Senior Maoist leader Madvi Hidma, who orchestrated numerous attacks over two decades, was killed in an encounter on November 18, a development that Chhattisgarh Police described as the "last nail in the coffin" of the insurgency.

Security forces eliminated Hidma, his wife Raje, and four other Naxalites during operations in Andhra Pradesh's Alluri Sitaramaraju district.

The Kartavya Path FIR states that police had received advance intelligence that demonstrators under the Delhi Coordination Committee for Clean Air banner planned to gather at India Gate.

Authorities were also alerted that activists from student organizations, including AISA and the JNU Students' Union (JNUSU), were expected to participate in the demonstration.

"Upon arriving at the location, we encountered a group of men and women carrying pamphlets and banners. They were notified that protests are prohibited at India Gate and that Jantar Mantar is the designated location for demonstrations," explained a senior police officer.

Despite multiple warnings, several protesters scaled barricades and entered the C-Hexagon, disrupting traffic for more than an hour.

When police attempted to clear the area, some protesters allegedly attacked officers. "During the confrontation, a student assaulted police personnel, and some utilized a bottle containing pepper spray against our officers," police reported.

Multiple police officers sustained injuries and were transported to RML Hospital for treatment.

Officials stated that another altercation reportedly occurred at the Parliament Street police station when the detainees were brought to the facility.

The Kartavya Path FIR now contains sections 74, 79, 115(2), 132, 197, 221, and 223 of the BSS, while the FIR filed at the Parliament Street police station includes charges under BNS sections 223A, 132, 221, 121A, and 126(2).