AAP Cries Dictatorship as 36 FIRs Lodged, 6 Held for Anti-Modi Posters

Two years after the Delhi Police arrested 30 people and lodged 25 FIRs over posters with remarks criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the COVID-19 vaccination drive, 138 FIRs were lodged and 6 people arrested on Tuesday after around 2,000 posters with the slogan “Modi hatao, desh bachao (Remove Modi, save the country)” appeared across the Capital.

#DelhiPolice arrests 6 people for putting up posters against PM saying 'Modi-Hatao, Desh Bachao' 🔗 https://t.co/jdfGTfVSq7 pic.twitter.com/PaZR4NV8lA

— Economic Times (@EconomicTimes) March 22, 2023

“The Delhi Police registered 100 FIRs while 6 people were arrested for objectionable posters, including those against PM Narendra Modi across the city. The posters didn’t have details of the printing press. The FIR was filed under Sections of the Printing Press Act and Defacement of property Act,” Special commissioner of police Deependra Pathak told news agency ANI.

Delhi Police registered 100 FIRs while 06 people were arrested for objectionable posters incl those against PM Narendra Modi across city. Posters didn't have details of the printing press. FIR filed under sections of Printing Press Act & Defacement of property Act: Special CP…

— ANI (@ANI) March 22, 2023

Out of the 100 FIRs, 36 were lodged for the anti-Modi posters, which were put down by the police in a crackdown. Two of the arrested men own a printing press.

According to the police, the printing press owners said that they had received an order to print 50,000 “Modi Hatao, Desh Bachao” posters.

The Centre-Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) duel further intensified with the police seizing another 2,000 posters inside a van in IP Estate and claiming that the driver said that he was instructed to deliver them to the party headquarters, NDTV reported. He had delivered a similar consignment on Monday too, the police said.

Delhi | A van was also intercepted as soon as it left the AAP office. Few posters were seized & arrests were made: Special CP Deependra Pathak to ANI

— ANI (@ANI) March 22, 2023

Pathak told The Indian Express that the van was intercepted in IP Estate while it was coming from the AAP headquarters on DDU Marg.

“The arrested man disclosed that he was asked by his employer to deliver the posters at AAP’s headquarters and had made a delivery a day earlier as well. We have arrested two other men and further investigations are on,” Pathak said.

The BJP accused the AAP of lacking the courage to admit they had put up the posters. “The AAP doesn’t have the courage to say that it put up the protests. They broke the law while putting up the posters,” Delhi BJP spokesperson Harish Khurana said in a video on Twitter.

एक तो चोरी ऊपर से सीना ज़ोरी। यह आलम है @AamAadmiParty का।
हिम्मत है पोस्टर में अपना नाम लिखो।

गाली देते हो @narendramodi जी को लेकिन पोस्टर में अपना नाम लिखने की हिम्मत नहीं।

ग़लत काम करोगे तो FIR होगी ही, बेचारा पॉलिटिक्स मत करो । pic.twitter.com/RL62DwBfrW

— Harish Khurana (@HarishKhuranna) March 22, 2023

Responding to the police action, the AAP said that the PM is “scared of one poster” and the government’s “dictatorship” is at its “peak”.

“What is so objectionable in this poster that Modi-ji filed 100 FIRs? PM Modi, you probably do not know but India is a democratic country. So scared of one poster! Why?” the party tweeted in Hindi.

मोदी सरकार की तानाशाही चरम पर है‼️

इस Poster में ऐसा क्या आपत्तिजनक है जो इसे लगाने पर मोदी जी ने 100 F.I.R. कर दी?

PM Modi, आपको शायद पता नहीं पर भारत एक लोकतांत्रिक देश है।

एक पोस्टर से इतना डर! क्यों? pic.twitter.com/RLseE9Djfq

— AAP (@AamAadmiParty) March 22, 2023

The AAP has announced a protest at Jantar Mantar to demand Modi’s ouster on Thursday.