In a move that has sparked controversy, the Centre has decided to revoke the National Security Act (NSA) against Bajrang Dal leader Vivek Premi, who was jailed in June last year, after allegedly parading a Muslim man through a market in Uttar Pradesh's Shamli after blackening his face.
According to a report in The Indian Express, the order revoking the NSA was conveyed by the Ministry of Home Affairs to the Uttar Pradesh Secretary (Home) on December 31 via radiogram. Copies of the order were sent to the Shamli district magistrate, Premi, and the superintendent of Muzaffarnagar District Jail, where he is lodged.
The report also adds that Premi and his associates claimed they had caught 42-year-old Mohammad Riyaz, carrying a calf that was allegedly stolen from a cow shed in Adarsh Mandi area on June 25 last year. They alleged Riyaz was taking the calf to slaughter. Riyaz was later handed over to police and sent to jail by the court on charges of theft and under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.
According to a report in The Times of India:
Shamli district magistrate OP Singh had confirmed to TOI that he received instructions from the ministry of home affairs (MHA) that the NSA charges against Premi should be revoked. "Now if there is no other charge against him, he will be released, but if he was booked under some other charges, he will have to go through the legal process," Singh said.
The IE report adds that the order was marked 'urgent' and also said that the Centre has to be informed about the follow-up action taken by the district administration.