As UAPA invoked against Congress MLA Mamman Khan, party closes ranks around him

After the communal violence in Nuh, Haryana, last year, the state police arrested local Congress MLA Mamman Khan who had been in the BJP’s sights for a long time. And now, he has been charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, or UAPA, triggering backlash from the Opposition party.

Congress MLAs across factional divides raised the matter during the ongoing Budget Session on Thursday, alleging that Khan had been “implicated in a false case”. They sought Speaker Gian Chand Gupta’s intervention in the matter and requested Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar to rethink slapping UAPA provisions on a member of the House. Deputy Chief Minister Abhay Chautala of the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) also condemned the charges against Khan.

The Nuh Police in its final FIR filed on Thursday, which came over six months after six people were killed in the communal clashes in the area on July 31, charged Khan, the Ferozepur Jhirka MLA, under sections 3, 10, and 11 of the anti-terror law for inciting violence. Khan was arrested on September 15 and released on bail on October 18.

The final FIR says that one of the accused told the investigators that Khan had arranged money — Rs 500 each — to be given to the miscreants through local sarpanchs before the riots erupted. It also alleges WhatsApp groups that had the name of the legislator — IT Cell Mamman Khan or Youth Team Mamman Khan — were formed for disseminating inflammatory posts.

Rohtak MLA B B Batra led the conversation in the House on Thursday, saying: “The CM wants to establish ‘Ram Rajya’ and here is a MLA who is being implicated in a false case. He was thrown in jail. He had no fault, no role (in the Nuh violence). The court did not accept (the allegations against him)