Sitabuldi Police have registered an FIR against Pushpa Sathidar, wife of late activist Veera Sathidar and others for allegedly making incendiary remarks and disturbing national harmony during a memorial programme held at a hall near Jhansi Rani Chowk on May 13. The complaint, lodged by Dattatraya Shirke (51), accuses the organisers and speakers of using provocative language that could incite unrest. The programme, organised by the Veera Sathidar Smriti Samanvay Samiti in collaboration with the left-leaning Samata Kala Manch, included a recital of a poem by Pakistani poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz.

 

The poem reportedly included lines interpreted as calls to “shake the throne”, and referenced “fascist times”. The complainant submitted a video link of the event to police as evidence. He cited the controversial content as harmful to national integrity, especially in the wake of Indo-Pak tensions and the recent Pahalgam attack. A case has been filed under sections 152, 196, 353, and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The police are investigating further into the background of Samata Kala Manch, whose head Sudhir Dhawale is currently out on bail in a separate case.