Bengaluru woman detained for raising pro-Pakistan slogan at anti-CAA event denied bail, to remain in judicial custody for 14 days

The woman in a gathering against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in Karnataka’s Bengaluru, who shouted "Pakistan zindabad" slogans, was denied bail by a judicial magistrate late Thursday night. ANI reported that she will be kept in judicial custody for 14 days and a local court is expected to hear her bail petition on Monday.

She was earlier sent for three-day custody.

According to The Hindu, alleged Bharatiya Janata Party supporters threw stones at Amulya’s father’s house at Gullagadde near Koppa on Thursday night, after she was charged for making objectionable remarks during the event.

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Amulya 'father Wazi said that the incident, which left window panes and doors damaged, took place at around 7.30 pm. “They are all BJP supporters. They were in a group. I have complained to the police with the names of a few who led the group,” he told the newspaper.

The woman, identified as Amulya Leona had raised 'Pakistan zindabad' slogan at an anti-CAA rally organised by AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi. A case was almost immediately registered against her under Section 124A (Offence of sedition) of the Indian Penal Code.

"We have registered a suo moto case under Section 124A (sedition), 153A and B (promoting enmity between different groups and imputations, assertions prejudicial to national integration). Once formalities are completed, we will produce Amulya before a judicial magistrate," B Ramesh, DCP Bengaluru (West) said.

Amulya had asked attendees to shout "Pakistan Zindabad" during her speech at the event organised under the banner of "Save Constitution". The organisers had invited her to address the gathering soon after Owaisi came on stage.

A baffled Owaisi rushed to snatch the mike from her and was joined by others who tried to remove her from the stage. But the woman was adamant and raised the slogan again repeatedly. Later, the police stepped in and removed her from the dais.

The woman was taken into custody on Thursday, police had said that she might be charged with sedition.

In one of her Facebook posts on 16 February, Amulya had hailed all south Asian countries, including Pakistan. She said that every citizen of a country is entitled to basic benefits and rights and that the government is responsible for every one of them equally.

Owaisi, who addressed the gathering later, said he did not agree with the woman, whom he described as "so-called liberal" and asked all liberals to refrain from any events involving Muslims.

"Neither I nor my party has any link with her. We denounce her. The organisers should not have invited her here. If I had known this, I would not have come here. We are for India and we no way support our enemy nation Pakistan. Our entire drive is to save India," the AIMIM MP said.

He asked people to refrain from liberals. "If they (liberals) were so concerned about the Muslims and CAA, they should have their own Shaheen Bagh kind of protests," Owaisi had said, alleging  that the amended citizenship law "smacked of governments hatred" towards Muslims and was against the poor.

"The law is aimed at making Muslims stateless," he charged.

During the event, the AIMIM chief also criticised the BJP government in Karnataka for booking a parent and the headmistress of a school for alleged derogatory remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi made by a class six student during a drama staged at a school in Bidar.

Owaisi asserted that his love for India is unquestionable because his family had chosen to stay in the country after the partition.

JDS corporator Imran Pasha claimed Amulya was planted by some rival group to disrupt the event. The woman, he said, was not in the list of speakers and demanded that the police investigate the matter seriously.

The state BJP took to Twitter to condemn the development.

The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) members and Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (Praveen Shetty faction) staged separate demonstrations in the city, demanding "externment" of Amulya.

With inputs from agencies