UP court issues notice to PMO as Prime Minister Narendra Modi wears Indian Army uniform

A district court in Uttar Pradesh has issued a notice to the Prime Minister’s Office after Prime Minister Narendra Modi wore the Indian Army uniform last year while interacting with Army personnel during his Kashmir visit.

For the unversed, last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had visited the Nowshera sector in Jammu and Kashmir to celebrate Diwali with soldiers and Indian Army personnel.

The notice was issued to PMO after a plea was filed in the Prayagraj district court by advocate Rakesh Nath Pandey in December last year.

The plea stated that PM Modi wearing the Army uniform was illegal under Section 140 of the Indian Penal Code, and should be termed as a punishable offence.

According to the reports section 140 of the Indian Penal Code states that wearing garb or carrying tokens used by soldiers and officers, sailors or airmen is a punishable offence.

Now the matter will be heard by the court on March 2. Earlier the chief judicial magistrate Harendra Nath had rejected it saying that the incident did not take place within the jurisdiction of the court and the matter can be heard by a magistrate having jurisdiction.

Advocate Rakesh Nath Pandey then moved the application under section 156(3) of the Code of Criminal Procedure which empowers the Magistrate to order an investigation into a cognizable offence. Hence district judge Nalin Kumar Srivastava issued the notice hearing arguments of Advocate Rakesh Nath Pandey.