Police registered an FIR against Suresh Chavhanke, the editor-in-chief of Sudarshan TV, for allegedly hurting the sentiments of tribals and Meena communities in the recent dispute over Amagarh Fort between the Meena community and Hindu groups.
The FIR was registered on Friday on the basis of a police complaint lodged by Girraj Meena, a member of the Rajasthan Adivasi Meena Seva Sangh at Transport Nagar police station in Jaipur.
“On the evening of July 23, Suresh Chavhanke of Sudarshan TV abused me and our entire tribal community according to his own will and it went on for several days,” says the FIR lodged by Meena.
The FIR adds Chavhanke and others want to spread religious frenzy as a part of a conspiracy and want to spread chaos and riots to disrupt communal harmony.
The FIR has been filed under Sections 295 (injuring or defiling place of worship with intent to insult the religion of any class) and 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) of the IPC along with Section 67 of the IT Act and relevant sections of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
“An FIR has been registered in the matter and Chavhanke is an accused,” said ACP Adarsh Nagar Neel Kamal.
The Amagarh fort has become a centre of a dispute between the Meena community and Hindu groups after a saffron flag was brought down on July 21. While the Hindu outfits accused the Meena community of tearing down the saffron flag, the latter accused them of trying to appropriate tribal deities into the Hindu fold.
While independent MLA Ramkesh Meena has been vocal in accusing Hindu outfits of trying to hijack tribal culture, leaders such as BJP’s Rajya Sabha MP Kirodi Lal Meena have criticised Ramkesh over the issue and said Meenas belong to the Hindu community as well.
Chavahanke had earlier asserted on Twitter that he will be coming to Amagarh on August 1 to hoist a saffron flag and telecast programmes on his channel over the issue. Meena outfits had said that nobody would be allowed to hoist a saffron flag at the site.
Jaipur Police have maintained that the land near the Amagarh fort belongs to the forest department and nobody will be allowed to visit there and affect the law and order situation.
This story first appeared on indianexpress.com