Protesting students in Ayodhya booked on sedition charges

Ayodhya : Some students of Saket College in Ayodhya face sedition charges for allegedly raising " azaadi" slogans during their protest against delay in union elections.

Protesting students denied the allegation saying they were demanding 'azaadi' from the corrupt principal and anti-student system of the college.

The principal of the college, N.D. Pandey in his complaint said the students were raising anti-national slogans like 'le ke rahenge azaadi' (we shall not rest till we get freedom) on December 16.

"They (students) were raising slogans of 'azaadi', they wanted to take azaadi by revolt and by violence, by burning the country. It was my duty to protect the motherland, therefore, I have filed the complaint against them," the principal told reporters.

On the basis of the principal's named complaint, police booked Sumit Tiwari, Shesh Narayan Pandey, Imran Hashmi, Satvik Pandey, Mohit Yadav and Manoj Mishra under Sections 124 A (sedition), 147 (rioting), 188 (disobedience to order), 332 (causing hurt to deter public servant from duty), 342 (wrongfully confinement), 353 (assault on public servant), 427 (causing damage to property), 435 (mischief by fire or explosive substance) and 506 (offence of criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.

Abhas Krishna Yadav, the former president of Saket College students' union, said, "Students were raising 'azaadi' slogans as they were seeking freedom from the corrupt principal and anti-student system of the college, and demanding to hold student union elections."

IANS report with edits