Patna : A sedition case has been registered against Bhojpuri folk singer Neha Singh Rathore at the Hazratganj police station in Lucknow following her social media posts questioning the government’s response to the recent Pahalgam terror attack. The charges could carry a sentence ranging from seven years to life imprisonment.
According to the First Information Report (FIR), Rathore is accused of posting “objectionable content” on social media, allegedly attempting to incite divisions on religious and caste lines, and spreading instability. The FIR cites multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Information Technology Act, including Section 152 (acts threatening sovereignty, unity, and integrity of India), Section 353(1)(c) (inciting class enmity), Section 353(2) (spreading false news to promote enmity), and Section 694 of the IT Act, along with provisions of the Indian Penal Code relating to hurting religious sentiments.
Following the filing of the FIR, Rathore released a video through her social media account, challenging the government’s action. “If you have guts, bring the heads of the terrorists instead of filing FIRs against me,” she said. She further accused the government of attempting to divert public attention from its failures by targeting critics.
Rathore had previously posted a video questioning whether the Pahalgam attack would be used as a political tool during the upcoming Bihar elections. Her remarks, in which she criticised the government for allegedly using national security issues for electoral gains, have sparked controversy, particularly after her video went viral across the border in Pakistan.
The video was widely shared by Pakistani users, including accounts affiliated with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), promoting her criticism of the Indian government. The PTI-affiliated account labelled her as “the Indian girl revealing the truth behind the Pahalgam attack”.
In another video shared later, Rathore elaborated on her stance, asking pointed questions about national security failures and criticising blind political loyalty. “When Modi ji, who claims to resolve international conflicts with a phone call, fails to prevent terrorist attacks at home, why shouldn’t questions be asked?” she said. She warned that the deaths in Pahalgam could be politicised during election campaigns, overshadowing more urgent local issues in Bihar.
Responding to accusations of being a traitor after her video gained attention in Pakistan, Rathore posted screenshots of the Pakistani shares, writing: “When Pakistanis share my video, blind followers call me a traitor. But when Modi ji visits Pakistan and shares a meal, he is still called a patriot.”
Rathore stood firm on her criticism, warning that exploiting the tragedy for electoral purposes would only sideline pressing domestic concerns in Bihar ahead of the elections.
