BJP MLA Balmukund Acharya booked after protest outside mosque sparks tension in Jaipur

The police in Jaipur have registered a criminal case against Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Balmukund Acharya on charges of hurting religious sentiments after he allegedly led a sloganeering crowd outside the Jama Masjid in the Walled City on Friday night, reported The Indian Express.

Acharya released a statement on social media expressing regret over the incident and pledging not to enter mosques again.

Acharya, accompanied by BJP leaders and workers, allegedly shouted offensive slogans, held up saffron flags and torches, and put up posters on the mosque premises during a protest against the Pahalgam terror attack.

Hafiz Mansoor Ali Khan, a member of the Jama Masjid committee, said that Acharya entered the premises around 8:30 pm, placed a “Pakistan Murdabad” poster at the gate and shouted “Jai Shri Ram”.

The incident, captured on security cameras, triggered a gathering of nearly 1,500 people from the Hindu and Muslim communities at the nearby Badi Chaupar area. Congress MLAs Rafiq Khan and Amin Kagzi, along with Police Commissioner Biju George Joseph, intervened to prevent the situation from escalating.

The police registered a first information report against Acharya on a complaint by the Jama Masjid Committee. The FIR was filed under Sections 298 (injuring or defiling place of worship), 300 (disturbing religious assembly), 302 (uttering word with intent...

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