Congress candidate Masood arrested for threatening Modi

Lucknow, March 29 (IANS) Imran Masood, Congress candidate from Uttar Pradesh's Saharanpur constituency, was arrested early Saturday for his hate speech against BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, police said. A court later sent him to 14 days judicial custody.

Officials said a first information report (FIR) was lodged in Saharanpur, soon after clips of Masood's hate speech were telecast on TV channels.

Senior Superintendent of Police Manoj Kumar led the team that arrested Masood, who is the nephew of jailed Congress leader Rashid Masood.

Caught on camera spewing venom on BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi and threatening to "chop him into pieces", Masood has been booked under sections 504 (Intentional insult to provoke breach of peace), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 295(A) (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings), of Indian Penal Code.

Charges under section 125 of the Representation of the People Act dealing with promoting enmity between classes in connection with an election were also slapped on Masood.

He was presented before a local court in which sent him to judicial custody.

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, who was to share stage with Masood at a Saharanpur election rally, cancelled the event and said at a meeting in Ghaziabad that he did not subscribe to use of such language.