Addressing a press conference over false allegations against the Shaheen Bagh protesters of being paid, Advocate Mehmood Pracha on Tuesday, 21 January, said that apart from sending a legal notice to BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya, they have also sent notices to five media houses — Republic TV, Zee News, Times Now, TV18 and News Nation.
Pracha stated, “Because of the Shaheen Bagh protests, there are around 1,000 protests going all over the country, so there is an effort by the government to disrespect them. Since many of their tactics didn’t work, they are trying to malign what the protest represents.”
He further stated that he will also pursue a criminal case against all of them, which will entail a punishment of up to two years.
Talking about the meet between Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal and a few women protesters on Tuesday, he said that it was "unauthorised," saying that they cannot "take away the women like that for a meeting."
A defamation notice was also sent to BJP's Information and Technology cell head Amit Malviya.
The legal notice was sent by the office of Advocate Mehmood Pracha and it demands an apology and Rs 1 crore in damages from the BJP leader and the channels.
Earlier, reports stated that two protesters, Nafisa Bano of Zakir Nagar and Shahzad Fatima of Shaheen Bagh, have sent the notice.
What Called for the Suit Against Malviya?
A video shared by Malviya on Twitter on 15 January had claimed that the women were being paid Rs 500 per day to oppose the amended Citizenship law.
The guy in the video can be seen saying, “It is all planned, they just want to keep their numbers intact, they take turns. They get Rs 500 and go there to eat Biryani.”
‘Attempt to Disrepute the Protesters’
The complainants have alleged that since Malviya is a BJP leader, he has a “vested interest in maligning the mass protesters.”
The notice, according to India Today, reads, “By making and propagating false allegations against the protesters and casting aspersions on their motivations, you, the addressee, and other entities, have not only played a fraud on the general public but have also attempted to bring disrepute to the protesters who are bringing the attention of a large number of people on the issues being pressed by this extraordinary exercise of Constitutional freedom.”
Moreover, the notice alleges that Malviya’s actions comprise an offence under Section 500 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), which is ‘Punishment for Defamation.’
Shaheen Bagh, which has become the ground zero of protests against CAA, NRC and NPR in the capital, has stretched for more than a month now.
Hundreds of women and men have occupied the Kalindi-Kunj-Shaheen Bagh stretch to voice their dissent. It is surrounded by songs of 'Azadi,' discussions, a reading and drawing area for the children, with many artists performing there every other day.
(With inputs from ANI, India Today)
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