Folk singer Neha Singh Rathore is facing sedition charges after allegedly posting provocative content online following the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, which claimed 26 lives, mostly tourists.
According to reports, Lucknow police have registered a sedition case against her after a formal complaint was lodged by an individual named Abhay Pratap Singh. Abhay accused Rathore of sharing objectionable material on her X account, alleging that her posts were designed to create discord among religious communities and harm national unity.
In the video, Neha claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will now be seeking votes in Bihar in the name of the Pahalgam attack, just like, she claimed, after the 2019 Pulawama terror attack in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed.
The ‘controversial post’ by Neha was even shared and praised by an X handle, run by a Pakistani journalists' group.
Who is Neha Singh Rathore?
Neha Singh Rathore is a Bhojpuri folk singer and political satirist, known for her sharp and socially conscious compositions. Born in 1997 in Jandaha, Bihar, she pursued a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc) degree from Kanpur University, graduating in 2018.
Rathore began her musical journey in 2019, initially recording Bhojpuri folk songs on her mobile phone and sharing them on Facebook. In May 2020, she launched her own YouTube channel to highlight the hardships faced by migrant workers during the COVID-19 lockdown.
Her songs, often addressing social and political issues, quickly gained traction. By October 2020, Rathore had established herself as a recognised voice of political satire, amassing over 1 lakh subscribers on YouTube by 2021.
Some of her most popular compositions include 'Bihar Mein Ka Ba' (2020), 'UP Mein Ka Ba?' (2022), 'UP Mein Ka Ba? Session-2' (2023), and 'MP Mein Ka Ba?' (2023). Each of her songs critically addressed governance and social challenges in various states, and widely resonated with audiences on social media platforms.
In July 2023, she faced legal action for posting a caricature connected to the infamous Madhya Pradesh urination incident, where a video emerged showing a man urinating on a tribal labourer. Around the same time, her song 'MP Mein Ka Ba?' gained popularity amid the Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly elections.
Now, Rathore faces fresh charges in Lucknow under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for promoting sectarian hostility, disrupting public peace, and threatening India’s sovereignty and integrity. She has also been booked under provisions of the Information Technology Act.
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