FIR against Sadhvi Deva Thakur for sterilisation remarks

An FIR has been registered against a Hindu Mahasabha leader for her controversial remarks that Muslims and Christians must undergo sterilisation to restrict their growing population.

The FIR was lodged against vice president of All India Hindu Mahasabha Sadhvi Deva Thakur at Sadder police station yesterday on the directions of Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Srinagar V S Bhau.

The CJM had directed Station House Officer of the police station to register a case against the accused under relevant provisions on an application by former Secretary of Jamiat-e- Ahlihadeeth A R Bhat, seeking action against the Hindu leader.

An FIR has been lodged against Sadhvi for "promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony", a police official said. He said she has been booked under section 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, language) and 295-A (outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) of the RPC.

Sadhvi had on April 12 said "the population of Muslims and Christians is growing day by day. To rein in this, the Centre will have to impose emergency, and Muslims and Christians will have to be forced to undergo sterilisation so that they can't increase their numbers."

She had also exhorted Hindus to have more children and increase their population so as to have an effect on the world. In another controversial remark, she had said idols of Hindu gods and goddesses should be placed in mosques and churches, while coming out strongly in support of installing a statue of "patriot" Nathuram Godse, the assassin of Mahatma Gandhi, in Haryana.