Protests against Ram temple's construction: FIR registered over audio message in Lucknow

LUCKNOW: Several mediapersons in Lucknow received an audio message regarding protests on Independence Day to register disapproval of construction of Ram temple at Ayodhya and demand a separate nation for minorities, on Saturday afternoon.
Over 50 newsmen informed senior police officials about the provocative messages being received following which Lucknow Police registered a case and launched a probe.
Many senior journalists in the state capital started receiving the audio message from 12.30pm and they promptly informed the additional director general of police, law and order, Prashant Kumar.
Police took cognisance of the audio message and an FIR was registered on the complaint filed by sub-inspector Mahesh Dutt Shukla.
Lucknow Police commissioner Sujeet Pandey told TOI that an FIR was registered against unidentified miscreants at Hazratganj police station and the cyber cell has been entrusted the task to trace the senders.
The FIR was registered on charges of sedition, Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, ITAct, vilification or attacking religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, speaking words against national integration, deliberate and malicious act intended to outrage religious feelings, and whoever, with the deliberate intention of wounding religious feelings.
The message was sent from different numbers having codes of Malaysia, Canada and different states of the United States.
The audio message in male voice urges people to protest against the coming up of Ram Temple in Ayodhya and says it is a step towards making the country a ‘Hindu rashtra’.
The message further instigates people of one faith to demand a separate country on the lines of Khalistan.
Joint Commissioner of Police, crime, Nilabja Choudhury said, "All the numbers from which the audio messages have been sent seem to be Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) and are being traced by experts".
“We are also planning to take assistance from National Investigation Agency (NIA) as well as UP ATS in the probe,” he added.
Meanwhile, police officials said they were inquiring if similar messages have been received in other districts too.