A Communist Party of India (M) leader in Bhind district of Madhya Pradesh who shared an image claiming that Jain saints took part in a protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act has been booked for insulting the Jain religion.
Former Gohad Nagarpalika president Premnarayan Mahor had on Thursday shared on his Facebook wall an image that showed a group of Digambar Jain saints and devotees sitting on a road. He captioned the image claiming they too were protesting against the new citizenship law.
A group of Jain followers reached the Gohad Police Station late on Thursday demanding that Mahor be booked for insulting their religion. The complaint identified the saint as one of the main figures of the religion and said he or other saints have nothing to do with politics.
An FIR under Section 295 of IPC (injuring or defiling places of worship with intent to insult religion) was lodged against Mahor, who has unsuccessfully contested assembly elections in the past, at the Gohad Police Station. The offence is non bailable and could lead to arrest, said in-charge of Gohad Police Station Sanjay Ashok.
Mahor told The Indian Express that he did not create the content and only shared the image. Unruffled by the FIR, he claimed he thought the saints were taking part in an anti-CAA protest.