Folk singer booked for song criticising Uttarakhand government

Garhwali folk singer Pawan Semwal was booked for allegedly “promoting enmity” and “insulting the modesty of women” in a song allegedly criticising Uttarakhand’s Bharatiya Janata Party government over unemployment and crimes against women, The Times of India reported on Sunday.

The song titled “Tin Bhi Ni Thami”, which translates to “cannot handle it even for a bit”, was shared by Semwal on his YouTube channel. He also posted a link to the video on Facebook.

The song linked the rise in the number of liquor shops to an increase in prostitution in the state, The Times of India reported.

Following the Facebook post, a resident of Dehradun had filed a complaint against Semwal on Saturday, alleging that the lyrics were offensive to all women in the state.

Based on the complaint, the police registered a case at the Patel Nagar police station.

Inspector Chandrabhan Singh Adhikhari, the station house officer at Patel Nagar, said that the case was filed under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita related to promoting enmity between groups, making statements conducive to public mischief and using words or gestures intended to insult the modesty of women.

Semwal, who was in Delhi, was summoned for questioning on Sunday.

“After a detailed questioning, he was served a notice under Section 35(a) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Suraksha Sanhita under...

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