Arundhati Roy and Kashmiri academic Sheikh Showkat Hussain are facing charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) based on a 2010 complaint that accused them of making provocative statements about Kashmiri separatism.
The Lieutenant Governor (LG) of Delhi , VK Saxena on Friday has given the green light for the police to charge Ms. Roy under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, or UAPA.
What Was the Speech?
Back in 2010, Ms. Roy spoke at an event in Delhi. A group of people claimed the things she said in that speech were controversial and caused some serious arguments between different groups.
The speech was part of a public event in Delhi where she and other speakers advocated for the secession of India-held Kashmir from India. This speech led to a criminal complaint being filed against her, which had been stalled in the Indian criminal justice system since 2010. On October 10, 2023, the Delhi administration’s top official, VK Saxena, granted permission for the case to proceed, potentially leading to legal action against Roy
The Charge
As a result, a complaint was filed against Ms. Roy. Now, the LG has said that the police can go ahead and build a case against her under the UAPA. This law is usually used for serious situations involving things like terrorism.
Reaction of Political Party
The National Conference and Peoples Democratic Party have expressed their disapproval of the prosecution sanction against author Arundhati Roy and a former professor in Kashmir under the stringent UAPA for allegedly making provocative speeches at an event in Delhi in 2010.
According to officials, the FIR against Roy and former Central University of Kashmir professor Sheikh Showkat Hussain was registered following the orders of the Court of Metropolitan Magistrate, New Delhi.
PDP chief and former chief minister of the erstwhile state of J-K, Mehbooba Mufti, termed the sanction “shocking”.
“Shocking that Arundhati Roy, world-renowned author and a brave woman who has emerged as a powerful voice against fascism, has been booked under the draconian UAPA,” she said on ‘X’.
“Booking a former law professor from Kashmir is also an act of frustration,” Mehbooba Mufti added
The FIR in the matter was registered on a complaint made by Sushil Pandit, a Social activist from Kashmir, on October 28, 2010. The other two accused in the case — Sayed Ali Shah Geelani, a Kashmiri separatist leader and Syed Abdul Rahman Geelani, a Delhi University lecturer — have both died over the course of the proceedings.
