Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh landed in a fresh controversy after an FIR was lodged against him at Chowk police station on Friday for hurting religious sentiments of Shia community.

“An FIR under Section 153 A of the IPC (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race etc) has been lodged against Amar Singh for making a speech on November 4 that has hurt the religious sentiments of Shia community,” said Station House Officer N P Singh.

The FIR was lodged by Shia community leaders who said that Amar had compared former BJP leader and Samajwadi Party’s latest ally Kalyan Singh with Karbala martyr Janabe Hur, thereby hurting their sentiment.

In his speech, Amar had said, “Kalyan nahi, ye Hur hai, BJP ka Bhasmasur hai” (Kalyan is like Hur, who will finish the BJP), alleged Shia Youth Front President Mohammad Zulfikar. He was campaigning for party nominee Bukkal Nawab for Lucknow (West) Assembly bypoll.

Tayyab Wasim Rizvi, secretary of Idara-e-Hae-Aza, who lodged the FIR at the Chowk police station, said actor Sanjay Dutt and other SP leaders were also present at the meeting.

Later in the day, the members of the group also burnt effigy of Amar Singh at Bada Imambara, while demanding strict action against him.

Meanwhile in New Delhi, Amar was busy taking cudgels against Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati. At a press meet, the Samajwadi Party leader alleged that through her government officials Mayawati was arm twisting Independent MLC Sunil Singh to vacate his Lucknow bungalow.

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