NEW DELHI – An Indian politician who posted a picture of Prime MinisterNarendra Modi with a begging bowl on Facebook has been arrested, policesaid Monday, in the latest example of what critics say is a clampdown onfree speech.
It follows more than a dozen similar arrests last year in a clampdown onthose attacking the Hindu nationalist premier’s policies or ideology.
Sathiyaraj Balu, a member of a local pro-Tamil party, was arrested onSaturday after he posted a morphed picture of Modi with a begging bowl aday ahead of the PM’s visit to the southern state of Tamil Nadu.
He has been charged with intent to disrupt the peace and to create ill-willbetween classes, after an official complaint was made by local members ofModi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
“We received a complaint against him (Balu) and took action as per thelaw,” a senior police officer in the district said, on the condition ofanonymity.
Balu is being remanded in custody pending a police investigation.
A television reporter is in jail in the northeastern state of Manipur foralleged posts that also criticised Modi and the state’s chief ministerBiren Singh.
Kishorechandra Wangkhem was arrested in December under a Draconian law thatallows authorities to detain anyone for up to a year without trial.
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He had accused Singh of promoting right-wing Hindu ideology in the regionand called him a “puppet” of Modi and of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh(RSS), a hardline Hindu group.
Police in September charged the main opposition Congress party’s socialmedia chief Divya Spandana with sedition, after she tweeted a meme thatshowed an altered image of Modi’s statue with a placard emblazoned with“thief”.
Critics say such arrests are alarming in the world’s largest democracy.
“There has been a worrying crackdown on free speech and dissent in India,whether slogans, social media commentary against ruling leaders, or arrestsof journalists and activists who criticise the government,” MeenakshiGanguly, South Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said.
“People are being accused under range of laws including sedition andthreats to national security.” – APP/AFP
