Under Section 45(1) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Delhi Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena has sanctioned the prosecution of Dr. Sheikh Showkat Hussain, a former Professor of International Law at the Central University of Kashmir, and novelist Arundhati Roy. The two are accused of making “provocative” speeches at a conference held in 2010 under the theme “Azadi-the Only Way.”
During his speech at the conference, Roy was accused of vigorously promoting the idea that Kashmir was annexed by the Indian military and was occupied by them against their will. Roy and other speakers at the conference allegedly gave provocative statements, according to a First Information Report (FIR) that was filed by Kashmiri Social activist Sushil Pandit.
Eight months have passed since the L-G granted permission to prosecute the two under Section 153A of the IPC (promoting enmity between different groups), Section 153B (punishing those who make or publish statements that promote disharmony or hatred between different religious, racial, language, or regional groups), and Section 505 (inciting statements) of the IPC. This latest approval for prosecution under the UAPA comes after the October of last year.