Bengaluru, Aug 17 (IANS): Three days after the controversial event, Bengaluru Police Commissioner N.S. Megharikh on Tuesday night confirmed that 'Azadi' (freedom) slogans were raised at a cultural programme Amnesty International India organised here on alleged human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir.
"Towards the end of the programme, a group of persons who were among the audience raised slogans seeking 'Azadi'. When the situation was getting volatile, the organisers suspended the programme and the police dispersed the people gathered there," said Megharik in a statement on Tuesday night.
Clarifying that police permission was neither sought nor given, as the event was an indoor function at United Theological College in the city on August 13, Megharikh said police persons were, however, deployed as the programme was brought to the notice of the local police station.
"During the function, it appears that some argument took place among the members of the audience regarding the action taken by the Indian army in Kashmir," the police chief pointed out.
Amnesty organised the programme -- 'Broken Families' -- which had an interactive discussion on peace and justice in Kashmir and where three families from the strife-torn valley shared human rights violations they faced with the rest of India.
"During the course of investigation, all possible evidence, including video footage will be collected, examined and appropriate legal action will be taken against the perpetrators of the alleged offence," Megharikh asserted.
The event is supposed to be part of a three-city tour of select families, covering Bengaluru, Mumbai and New Delhi.
The police chief also noted that Akhila Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad's (ABVP) organising secretary Jayaprakash had given a complaint, alleging that Amnesty representatives and other participants had indulged in anti-national slogans and criticised the role of Indian army.
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's (RSS) affiliated student wing also submitted with the complaint a video footage of the function, showing some of the participants raising 'Azadi' slogans loudly a couple of times in unison.
"The complainant demanded legal action against such persons. After obtaining legal opinion, an FIR was registered on the complaint on August 15 under various sections of the IPC (Indian Penal Code)," Megharikh added.
The case has been entrusted to the assistant commissioner of police in the J.C. Nagar sub-division, as charges of sedition, rioting, unlawful assembly and promoting enmity were mentioned in the FIR.
None of our employees shouted anti-India slogans at event: Amnesty
Amnesty International India chapter on Tuesday said none of its employee shouted any anti-India slogan at an event in Bengaluru on Kashmir, allegations based on which the sedition charge was slapped against the human rights body.
Amensty India said the allegation mentioned in a complaint by an ABVP representative against it were “without substance” and that the only discussion at the event on Saturday was about allegations of human rights violations and denial of justice in Jammu and Kashmir.
The local police slapped sedition charge against Amnesty on Monday based on the allegation that anti-India slogans were raised at the event organised by it.
“No Amnesty International India employee shouted any slogans at any point,” the human rights organisation said in a statement referring to allegations that “slogans were raised that Indian Kashmir should be a part of Pakistan.”
To the charge that the event indirectly supported terrorists, Amnesty said the only discussion that had taken place was about allegations of human rights violations and denial of justice to families in Kashmir.
“These are issues that have regularly been discussed in the media. They have been written about at length by members of Parliament, politicians, judges and civil society,” it said.
The event was held as part of a campaign based on the report “Denied: Failures in accountability for human rights violations by security force personnel in Jammu and Kashmir”, published in July 2015, it said.
Amnesty said the report was based on in-depth research in Jammu and Kashmir, including interviews with family members of “victims”, RTI applications, examination of police and court records, and interviews with civil society groups, lawyers, and government officials.
The families of three Kashmiri victims that were interviewed for the report were invited to share their stories at the event, said Amnesty.
About allegations that some people at the event tried to assault ABVP activists, it said, “No Amnesty International India employee was involved in any form of assault.”
“Towards the end of the event, some of those who attended raised slogans, some of which referred to calls for ’Azaadi’ [freedom]. Amnesty International India as a matter of policy does not take any position in favour of or against demands for self-determination. However, Amnesty International India considers that the right to freedom of expression includes the right to peacefully advocate political solutions. Amnesty International India had invited the Bengaluru police to be present at the event in the interest of the security of the invited families and other attendees,” the statement said.
About allegations that a women employee of Amnesty and two others raised raised anti-national slogans, it said they were not present on stage at any point during the event.
Amnesty said footage of the event was shared with the police.
The rights body said Amnesty had worked extensively on human rights violations in Pakistan, including “the enforced disappearances and unlawful killings of political activists in Balochistan, violations by security forces in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), and violence against journalists by groups including the ISI”.
With PTI Inputs