Bengaluru, Jun 5: An FIR has been filed against former journalist and human rights activist Aakar Anil Patel in Bengaluru here over his comments on social media under charges pertaining to provocation with intent to cause riots.
The FIR was registered under Section 117 (abetting commission of an offence by the public or by more than ten persons), 153 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot), and 505-1-B (intent to cause, or which is likely to cause, fear or alarm to the public, or to any section of the public) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at the JC Nagar police station.
According to the FIR filed on June 2, Patel had tweeted that protests like the ones in the US over George Floyd's death are needed in India by the marginalised communities.
Patel, former chief of Amnesty International India, had on May 31 posted from his Twitter account, which is not verified.
On May 25, Floyd died in police custody in Minneapolis, Minnesota, following which protests against police brutality and racism erupted in various cities in the United States. The protests were later replaced by incidents of violence across the country.
India also has witnessed several cases of mob lynchings and custodial deaths in recent years. In most cases victims belong to down trodden communities such as Muslims and Dalits.
Responding to the development, Amnesty International India has said that FIR against Patel is another example of how the right to dissent is being "increasingly" criminalised.
"The Bengaluru police must stop abusing its authority and put an end to the intimidation and harassment of Aakar Patel for exercising his constitutionally guaranteed right to freedom of expression. People of this country have the right to agree or disagree with those in power, and to express these opinions in peaceful protests - without fear or unlawful interference," Amnesty International India Executive Director Avinash Kumar said.
He said that peacefully protesting against the government is not a crime and added that not agreeing with the policies of those in power does not make you a traitor.
Comments
Police busy in protecting cows.....
Saudi Arabia is the peaceful country than Our India. Why?
Because Islamic rule is there.
Exactly jeevan ...they are taught to slit the throat in the name of festival .so their No's are always high in slitting the throat of nation ( anti national activities )...soon. It will back fire ..and also back firing ....Israel showed the model ...Myanmar replicated ....now Americans duplicating it ...we Indians who are proud to say bharat mata ki jai must follow Israelis ...nobody shoeing sympathy for pellet gun attack except sicular and ummah gang ...it shows everything
@jeevan...
My dear we are doing animal slaughter to eat only....
You are also doing human slaughter even today killing women and children and sacrificing for maa kaali and other gods...correct your wrong number first...cow slaughter or eating wa
@ Jeevan # 9
We can say in other words,
Animals are valued over human.
Like you is nt it faizhal Bhai ......haha...enree innu Dana kadilikke hogilva ?
It is now proved that Islamic state ordering killings in Karnataka as they get free hand in khangrace govt ...proud billava youth died becoz of Islamic millitants ....rip charan ....chutiya log ..if they have guts they shud face directly ...not infront of kid ...
Take his wife and auto driver in police custody, truth may come out in a day.
These buggers should never get married.... understand naren and viren
when bajaragdal member killed by some pfi or kfd activists he will became rowdy sheeter. if anything happens ulta, in headline bajrangdal name will pop up
for animal slaughterers its easy to slaughter humans also.
his sin will follow him.
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