Former Supreme Court judge Markandey Katju has been booked for sedition following a complaint against his Facebook post "offering" Kashmir to Pakistan on the condition that it takes Bihar too.
Bihar Police have filed an FIR under section 124-A (sedition) of the Indian Penal Code. On Tuesday, a complaint was filed by Neeraj Kumar, state spokesman for JD (U) MLC with Shastri Nagar police station. A lawyer, Arvind Kumar, also filed a petition before Patna Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Om Prakash on Wednesday.
The complaint sought registration of a case under sections 124-A (sedition), 500 (defamation), 501 (engraving matter known to be defamatory) and 505 (statements conducting to public mischief) of IPC. The date for hearing the plea is yet to be decided.
Katju's comments kicked up a storm that drew sharp criticism cutting across party lines. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar ridiculed Katju for trying to become 'mai-baap' (guardian) of the state.
"But they forget Bihar was the seat of power over an area bigger than present-day India. It is Bihar, the land of Lord Buddha, Lord Mahavira and Chandragupta Maurya and Chanakya. It is the land of Aryabhata who invented zero for the world," Nitish Kumar said without naming Katju.
Katju's post has also invited the ire of Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejaswi Prasad Yadav, former Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi and Janata Dal (United) leaders KC Tyagi and Shyam Rajak among others.
Katju has attempted to clear the air about the intention of his comments through more Facebook posts. "I was only joking about Bihar, but when I find that even the chief minister and deputy chief minister of Bihar lack a sense of humour, I feel there is indeed something wrong with Bihar," he said.
Here are Katju's hilarious replies to the criticism generated after his 'seditious posts':
