The Delhi Police has registered 25 FIRs and arrested as many people for allegedly pasting posters critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in connection with the vaccination drive against COVID-19, officials said on Saturday. The posters reading "Modiji humare bachon ki vaccine videsh kyu bhej diya (PM why did you send vaccines of our children to foreign countries?)" were plastered in several parts of the city, they said.
On May 13, police received information about the posters following which senior officers of the districts were alerted. Based on further complaints, 25 FIRs were registered under sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the Indian Penal Code and other relevant sections, including section 3 of the Prevention of Defacement of Property Act, across various districts of the Delhi Police, officials said.
A senior police officer said, "More FIRs are likely to be registered if further complaints are received in this regard. As of now, investigation is underway to ascertain on whose behalf these posters were being put up at various places across the city and accordingly further action will be taken." Elaborating further about the FIRs and arrests, the police said three FIRs were registered in northeast Delhi and two people were arrested from there.
Three FIRs were registered in west and five people were arrested while another three FIRs were registered in outer Delhi and three more people were nabbed from there. In northwest part of the national capital, four FIRs were registered after which two were arrested, police said. They said two FIRs were registered in the central part of the city and four people were arrested while two FIRs were registered in Rohini and another two FIRs in south were also registered.
The police said one FIR was registered in east Delhi's Kalyanpuri and four people were nabbed while another FIR was registered in New Friends Colony police station of the southeast district, police said.
12 Arrested Over Posters Against PM Modi In Delhi
— Mahua Moitra (@MahuaMoitra) May 15, 2021
“Modi ji, aapne humare bacchon ki vaccine videsh kyu bhej diya?"
Perfectly valid question. pic.twitter.com/XCJS5Bsg3G
Police officials said one FIR was registered in Dwarka from where two people were arrested while another FIR was registered in north Delhi and one person was arrested from there. The person claimed that he had been given Rs 500 to paste these posters, police said. Police said one more FIR was registered in southwest Delhi from where two people were held.
Another case was registered in Shahadra. The police have recovered the CCTV footage of the act and are trying to nab the person involved in it, officials added.
On May 16, criticising the Union government for the arrests, leaders of the Congress party changed their display pictures on Twitter to the an image containing the text of the posters. Rahul Gandhi shared the image and said, “Arrest me too.”
Arrest me too.
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) May 16, 2021
मुझे भी गिरफ़्तार करो। pic.twitter.com/eZWp2NYysZ
#NewProfilePic pic.twitter.com/xVkSuREOF0
— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) May 16, 2021
जो भरा नहीं है भावों से, जिसमें बहती रसधार नहीं
— Congress (@INCIndia) May 16, 2021
वह हृदय नहीं है पत्थर है, जिसमें स्वदेश का प्यार नहीं
ये पंक्तियां आज प्रधानमंत्री मोदी से सवाल पूछ रही है कि विदेशों में वैक्सीन बांटने से पहले भारत माँ की संतानों का ख्याल क्यों नहीं आया? pic.twitter.com/9UkuZm5iMF
.@narendramodi ji,
— All India Mahila Congress (@MahilaCongress) May 16, 2021
We stand by those who put up this poster. #ArrestMeToo pic.twitter.com/Ybqbk3tVn1