A case has been registered in Pune against senior journalist Nikhil Wagle for allegedly making offensive remarks against PM Modi and BJP veteran L. K. Advani after the latter was awarded the Bharat Ratna, authorities said on Friday.
The FIR was filed at Pune’s Vishrambaug police station after a local BJP leader, Sunil Deodhar, lodged a complaint against Mr. Wagle for reportedly controversial comments against the PM.
The senior journalist has been booked under sections 153A (promoting enmity between different groups), 500 (defamation) and 505 (statements conducing to public mischief) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), police said, stating they were probing the matter.
The senior scribe made the alleged defamatory remarks on X after the Centre announced that Mr. Advani would receive the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honour.
Meanwhile, the Pune BJP has asked police to deny permission to the ‘Nirbhaya Bano’ rally to be held on Friday evening where Mr. Wagle is one of the speakers.
The journalist, in a post on X, said on Friday that “the event would be held, come what may.”
Earlier, Mr. Wagle had posted on X that the Pune city BJP president had threatened to disturb the Nirbhay Bano meeting, remarking, “Friends, this meeting is against the undeclared emergency. We need to save our democracy.”
