In turn, many people became outraged that the Karnataka government imprisoned “Bhiku Mhatre,” an influential social media user, for a post removed from the information provided on the Congress party manifesto.
The BJP has assured Mhatre that it will provide a legal defense to him, which is generally known as “MumbaichaDon” on Twitter after his post allegedly claimed that the Congress “is not merely seeking to do away with the wealth of Hindus but also to substitute it with the wealth of Muslims since it indisputably loathes Hindus” – a claim that the party has thoroughly denied.
The arrest came as a Bangalore Congress leader filed a police complaint at the Cyber Crimes Bureau at the end of April. After this, the police filed a case against the X user on the grounds of being booked under section 153(a) of the Indian Penal Code and 66(c) of the Information Technology Act.
Responding to the Congress government’s offline activity in Karnataka, BJP Karnataka leader Tejasvi Surya described it as a ‘blatant use of power’. He vowed to enforce justice from the Courts both inside and outside. BJP I.T. Cell chief Amit Malviya made a statement seeking justice for Mhatre’s family, and he added that “#Emergency will not be there in this country; this is the end.”
The house arrest on Monday has given birth to a discussion on the limits of free speech in our country and on the ongoing tensions between the BJP and the Congress party in our state.
