Singer Neha Rathore questioned by Lucknow police over Pahalgam attack posts

The Lucknow police on January 3 recorded the statement of folk singer and activist Neha Singh Rathore in connection with a case registered against her for allegedly making objectionable social media remarks following the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir.

Rathore, widely known for her politically charged Bhojpuri ballads, appeared at the Hazratganj police station after being summoned by the authorities. Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Vikas Kumar Jaiswal said she arrived in the evening, recorded her statement, and was allowed to leave thereafter.

The case, registered in April last year, pertains to videos and posts allegedly shared by Rathore on social media platform X, in which she questioned the circumstances surrounding the deaths of victims in the Pahalgam attack. In that incident, terrorists allegedly killed 26 people, most of them tourists, after verifying their religious identities.

In one of her posts, Rathore claimed she was being branded a traitor for raising questions. “Today BJP’s IT cell is calling me a traitor because I ask questions without fear. Is it treason to ask questions to the Prime Minister?” she wrote.

The complaint was filed by a local resident, Abhay Pratap Singh, who accused Rathore of sharing content that allegedly promoted sectarian animosity and posed a threat to the sovereignty, unity, and integrity of the nation. The complainant further claimed that such posts could adversely affect public harmony and national integrity.

Based on the complaint, police registered a case against Rathore under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Investigations in the matter are ongoing.