Aryan Khan was targeted because of his surname, alleges Mehbooba Mufti
Two Delhi lawyers filed a complaint against the Kashmir leader for her comment, accusing her of ‘provoking the Muslim community’.
Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Monday alleged on Twitter that actor Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan, who has been arrested in a drugs case, was being targeted because of his surname.
Two lawyers in Delhi have filed a police complaint against the Peoples Democratic Party chief for her claim, accusing her of “provoking the Muslim community”, ANI reported.
“It is an inciting statement which intends to create hatred and unrest among the communities,” the complainants alleged. “Mufti’s statement clearly depicts her intention and act to incite the Muslim community of our country thus it may threaten the security, peace and harmony of our nation and disrupt public order.”
The lawyers have said that a First Information Report should be filed against Mufti for “attempting to create enmity between communities”, India Today.
Mufti had tweeted: “Instead of making an example out of a Union Minister’s son accused of killing four farmers, central agencies are after a 23-year-old simply because his surname happens to be Khan. Travesty of justice that Muslims are targeted to satiate the sadistic wishes of BJP’s core vote bank.”
Mufti was referring to junior home minister Ajay Mishra’s son Ashish Mishra, who has been arrested in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case.
Eight people, including four farmers, were killed in the violence in Lakhimpur Kheri in Uttar Pradesh on October 3, during a protest against the Centre’s new agriculture laws. Farmer bodies have alleged that a vehicle that was part Ajay Mishra’s convoy ran over the protestors. They said that the vehicle belonged to Ashish Mishra.
The Union minister’s son was sent to three-day police custody on Monday. He has been charged with multiple offences, including murder and criminal conspiracy.
Despite the seriousness of the allegations against him, Ashish Mishra was arrested only on Saturday, five days after a First Information Report was filed against him.
On the other hand, Aryan Khan has been denied bail, even as his lawyer argued that no drugs were found in his possession during the Narcotics Control Bureau’s raid on a cruise ship party off the coast of Mumbai on October 2.
Khan has argued in bail petition that he was arrested only on the basis of some WhatsApp messages.
Congress questions Mamata Banerjee’s silence
Meanwhile in West Bengal, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury asked why Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had been silent about Aryan Khan’s arrest, PTI reported.
“Shah Rukh Khan is the brand ambassador of West Bengal,” Chowdhury said. “Mamata Banerjee calls him her brother. Then why is she silent on the issue? It seems she is desperate to please her friends in the BJP.”
Chowdhury alleged that a conspiracy had been hatched to damage the actor’s reputation because he “did not bow before the BJP leadership”, according to PTI. “We had seen a similar incident last year when Rhea Chakraborty was hounded in the Sushant Singh Rajput case,” the Congress leader added.