The Allahabad High Court has refused to grant bail to a 62-year-old man, Ansar Ahmad Siddique, for allegedly sharing a Facebook post that included the slogan “Pakistan Zindabad” and content promoting religious extremism. The Court came down heavily on the accused, declaring that such actions are not protected under the right to liberty and instead amount to betrayal of the nation.
Justice Siddharth, while rejecting the bail plea, made strong remarks against the accused and what he called a growing trend of anti-national behaviour. “The applicant is a senior citizen and his age shows that he is born in independent India. His irresponsible and anti national conduct does not entitle him to seek protection of his right to liberty guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution of India,” the Court observed.
According to the prosecution, the Facebook post was uploaded shortly after a deadly terrorist attack in Srinagar, in which 26 people were killed. The post allegedly propagated “Zihad”, raised pro-Pakistan slogans, and called for support to people in Pakistan. The State counsel argued that the timing and content of the post clearly indicated support for terrorism on religious grounds.
The Court said such acts are “anti-social and anti-Indian” and directly harm the unity and integrity of the country. Referring to Article 51-A of the Constitution, it noted that every citizen is duty-bound to “uphold and protect the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India”.
“The judiciary has become liberal and tolerant towards such acts of people with anti national bent of mind. Commission of such offences is becoming routine affair in this country,” the judge said, expressing concern about the growing frequency of such incidents.
The bail was opposed by the government counsel citing national interest, while the defence argued that the accused is a 62-year-old man undergoing medical treatment. However, the Court was unconvinced.
Calling the conduct of the accused “a serious challenge to the freedom and authority of the nation,” the Court ruled that this was not a fit case for granting bail and directed the trial court to conduct proceedings expeditiously.
Case: Ansar Ahmad Siddique vs State of UP – Available on LAWFYI.IO
