New Delhi: Mohammed Zubair ,one of the founders of fact-checking website Alt News, was arrested by the Delhi Police for allegedly hurting religious sentiments through one of his tweets. Several political leaders have criticised the BJP-led Central government over his arrest.
The Delhi Police reports to the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Delhi Police bending over backwards to please sahibs & thumb nose at law.@zoo_bear arrested on trumped up case w/o notice while assisting in case where HC given him protection.
While Ms. Fringe Sharma enjoys life of protection at tax payer expense for EXACT same offences.
— Mahua Moitra (@MahuaMoitra) June 27, 2022
Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra slammed the Delhi Police for “bending over backwards to please sahibs”. She said Muhammad Zubair was arrested “on a trumped up case” even as “Ms Fringe Sharma enjoys life of protection”.
“Arresting one voice of truth will only give rise to a thousand more,” wrote Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Twitter.
Every person exposing BJP's hate, bigotry and lies is a threat to them.
Arresting one voice of truth will only give rise to a thousand more.
Truth ALWAYS triumphs over tyranny. #DaroMat pic.twitter.com/hIUuxfvq6s
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) June 27, 2022
Srinivas BV, Youth Congress President, wrote “Nupur Sharma remains untouched while @zoo_bear gets arrested for calling out the wrongdoings. We strongly condemn this act.”
Busting fake news, propaganda of Godi Media, exposing the hate speech of BJP is the reason he's being arrested?
Nupur Sharma remains untouched while @zoo_bear gets arrested for calling out the wrongdoings. We strongly condemn this act.#IStandWithZubair pic.twitter.com/m5wt1tmRXH
— Srinivas BV (@srinivasiyc) June 27, 2022
The case is based on a complaint made by Twitter handle ‘@balajikijaiin’ this month, alleging that Mr Zubair had tweeted a “questionable” image to “deliberately insult the god of a particular religion”, police said. Mr Zubair had sent out that tweet in March 2018.
“It is much easier to cry foul when someone not from your own party is allegedly hurting religious sentiments.Arrest @NupurSharmaBJP, and show the country that the same rules apply to all,” read a tweet by the official Twitter handle of the Trinamool.
“What an irony that the person who made hate speech is roaming free while the journalist who uncovered it is detained,” wrote Kerala MLA MK Muneer.
Alt News co-founder Pratik Sinha said Mr Zubair was called to Delhi for questioning in a different case from 2020, in which the court has given him protection against arrest. But he was arrested in this new case instead, without mandatory notice, Mr Sinha said. “No FIR copy is being given to us despite repeated requests.”
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