Assam police today registered a case against popular singer Zubeen Garg over his alleged abusive remarks against Bharat Ratna, the country’s highest civilian honour.
The FIR was registered in Lanka in Hojai district as the state celebrated Republic Day and Thursday’s announcement that Bharat Ratna has been conferred posthumously on Bhupen Hazarika, one of the state’s foremost cultural icons.
“We have registered an FIR and investigating the short audio clip said to be in Garg’s voice. In the viral clip, the Bharat Ratna has been abused,” Hojai’s superintendent of police Ankur Jain said, adding that there is still no video evidence of the event where Garg is supposed to have spoken.
The complaint was lodged by state Bharatiya Janata Party functionary Satya Ranjan Borah.
In the short clip, the voice, alleged to be of Garg is heard singing the first line of his new song “politics no koriba Bondhu” (do not do politics my friend) before he uses an abusive term for the Bharat Ratna. Garg who has been opposing the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, wrote his new song in protest against the Centre’s move.
He earlier took to social media offering to return the money he received as remuneration for singing the BJP’s campaign song for the 2016 Assembly elections in Assam. He also wrote a open letter to the chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal and has been participating in protests against the citizenship bill.
Borah, in a Facebook post said FIR has been lodged for “defaming, disrespecting and insulting nation’s highest recognition the Bharat Ratna and defaming and insulting voice and pride of Assam late Bhupen Hazarika accordingly with some unparliamentary and anti-social words.”
