Congress' Saharanpur MP Imran Masood
Credit: PTI Photo
Ten years after his remarks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi (the then chief minister of Gujarat) during the 2014 Lok Sabha polls which triggered a massive controversy, charges were framed against Congress MP Imran Masood in a special MP/MLA Court in Uttar Pradesh's Saharanpur town.
According to the government lawyer Gulab Singh charges were framed against Masood, an MP from Saharanpur, in the court of Special judge MP/MLA Court Mohit Sharma on Tuesday.
Masood, who was a Congress candidate from Saharanpur Lok Seat in the 2014 LS polls, had allegedly made an objectionable remark on Modi. A video of his remarks had gone viral on social media.
In the viral video, Masood was purportedly heard saying that Saharanpur was not Gujarat, where the number of Muslims were only four per cent.
''Saharanpur is not Gujarat...42 per cent Muslims live here...Modi will be cut to pieces if he comes here,'' Masood had allegedly said while addressing a public meeting in Deoband. Masood had also made objectionable remarks on two BSP legislators.
A case was registered against Masood on March 27, 2014 at Deoband police station by the then station i-charge Kusumveer Singh. He was charged with violation of the model code of conduct, breach of peace and making casteist remarks. He was also arrested and sent to jail.
As many as 19 witnesses had their statements recorded in the court in connection with the case.
Masood had crossed over to the Congress from the BSP in 2023 and was given a ticket from Saharanpur LS seat by the grand old party. He had defeated the BJP nominee Raghav Lakhanpal by over 64 thousand votes.