Muslim Leader Files Complaint Against Bhushan for 'Hurting Hindu Sentiments'

New Delhi: Congress spokesperson in Uttar Pradesh Zishan Haider on Sunday filed a police complaint against senior lawyer and Swaraj Abhiyan leader Prashant Bhushan for his tweet taunting state chief minister Yogi Adityanath if he would name the "anti-romeo squads" after Lord Krishna.

The police complaint filed by a Muslim leader against hurting "Hindu sentiments" in an issue close to BJP has made many commentators wondering if there was a political angle to it.

Meanwhile, Bhushan seemed to be on a defensive wicket after his initial taunts.

"My tweet on Romeo brigade being distorted. My position is: By the logic of Romeo Brigade, even Lord Krishna would look like eve teaser," he said.

"We have grown up with legends of young Krishna teasing Gopis. The logic of Romeo squad would criminalise this. Didn't intend to hurt sentiments," said Bhushan in another tweet.

Earlier in the day, Bhushan, who is also the co-founder of Swaraj Ahbiyan, said Lord Krishna was a "legendary eve-teaser" and questioned if Adityanath would name the anti-harassment force as “anti-Krishna squads”.

The tweet comes amid the outrage over the way the squads have punished many couples seen together in public parks in the state, especially in Western UP. The Allahabad High Court has directed the government to ensure that guidelines were followed by the police teams and action taken as per the law.

With visuals on TV suggesting harassment and humiliation of young couples by anti-Romeo squads at some places, Adityanath asked officials to ensure there was no "unnecessary harassment".

Anti-Romeo squads, a poll promise of the BJP that pulled off a stunning victory in the recent Assembly polls in UP, drew criticism from certain quarters after visuals of policemen targeting young boys and girls went viral on TV and in social media.

"The idea is to question, check group of boys or boys alone near colleges and other places, and create fear among potential harassers in public places," said a police officer.

However, it was being dubbed as an attempt at moral policing and widely criticised in some quarters as the modus operandi was being compared to the infamous 'Operation Majnu' in 2005, in which boys at crossings and markets were pulled up, and couples in gardens were thrashed by police.