Gujarat: Hindutva leader Kajal Shingala arrested in hate speech case

Hindutva leader Kajal Shingala was on Sunday arrested in Gujarat’s Una town for allegedly delivering a provocative speech last week, reported The Indian Express.

Kajal Shingala, also known as Kajal Hindusthani, was booked in the hate speech case on April 2, three days after she had addressed a gathering during Ram Navami celebrations.

She has been sent to judicial custody as the police did not seek her remand. “Her speech is already out in the public,” Gir Somnath Superintendent of Police Shripal Sheshma told The Indian Express. “Therefore, there is no question of remand.”

The police had said that Shingala’s speech led to tension between Hindus and Muslims following which they called a meeting of leaders of the two communities on April 1, reported PTI. However, the meeting did not pacify the situation as the leaders engaged in a verbal heated exchange.

Following this, a mob vandalised vehicles and threw stones and glass bottles at the homes of the residents. The police then booked 76 Muslims and 200 others for unlawful assembly and rioting on April 1, according to The Indian Express.

The next day, Shingala was booked under Sections 195A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs), 153A (promoting enmity between...

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