FIR against Sidhu over communal remarks

District authorities in Katihar have lodged an FIR against Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu for his remarks in which he allegedly warned the Muslim community that efforts were on to divide their votes in Bihar, state chief electoral officer said Tuesday.

"An FIR has been lodged against Sidhu under a section Indian Penal Code and section 123 (3) of the Representation of the People Act," Bihar CEO H R Srinivasa told PTI.

Section 123 (3) bars promotion of, or attempt to promote, feelings of enmity or hatred between different classes of the citizens of India on grounds of religion, race, caste, community, or language, by a candidate or his agent or any other person.

Addressing an election rally in Katihar, cricketer-turned-politician Sidhu has stoked a controversy by urging Muslim voters of a Lok Sabha constituency in Bihar with sizeable population of the minority community to vote en bloc and defeat Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The comments by former test cricketer at a rally in ...