UTTAR PRADESH: Uttar Pradesh Police have registered an FIR against Congress leader Imran Masood for violating Covid-19 norms. Masood, the controversial ex-MLA from Nakud assembly seat in Saharanpur district, called a public gathering of his supporters on Monday despite Election Commission of India putting a ban on public rallies till January 15.
By calling his supporters in large numbers, Masood was looking at announcing his joining Samajwadi Party (SP) and that he would be contesting Uttar Pradesh assembly polls on SP ticket.
Taking exception to blatant violation of Covid-19 protocols and directives of the Election Commission of India by Masood, Saharanpur Police lodged an FIR againt Masood and his supporters at Qurubsher police station. Senior police officials said that legal action will be taken against Masood.
Masood is the nephew of late Rashid Masood who had won Saharanpur Lok Sabha seat five times and had served as a minister in VP Singh Cabinet. Masood had won 2007 assembly elections from Nakud seat as an independent. He contested 2012 election on a Congress ticket and lost. He joined Samajwadi Party in 2013 only to return to Congress in 2014 and contested 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Saharanpur. Albeit, he lost both the elections.
Masood has a large following in his constituency, especially from the Muslim community, which accounts for 42 percent of the population.
In 2014, Masood was arrested and jailed for allegedly making hate speeches against BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi during an election campaign. He had threatened to “truncate Narendra Modi”, which he later tried to deny.