A court in Mahoba district of Uttar Pradesh on Monday asked the police to file a sedition case against Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, taking suo motu cognisance of media reports of his statement against the Supreme Court verdict striking down the NJAC Act.

Civil Judge (Junior Division) Ankit Goel in the Kulpahar sub-division asked the police to file a case against Mr. Jaitley under Section 505 (false statement circulated with intent to cause mutiny or offence against public peace) and Section 124 (a) (sedition) of the Indian Penal Code. The judge also summoned the Minister for a hearing on November 19.

In his reaction to the SC verdict, Mr. Jaitley had said: “The Indian democracy cannot be a tyranny of the unelected and if the elected are undermined, democracy itself would be in danger.”

The judge said Mr. Jaitley’s statement seemed “anti-national.”