‘Truth Can’t Be Silenced by UAPA’: Rahul Gandhi Slams BJP Over Tripura Case

Journalist Shyam Meera Singh has alleged that he has been booked under UAPA for tweeting “Tripura is burning”.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. 

(Photo: PTI)

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday, 8 November, took to Twitter to condemn the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) invoked by the Tripura Police against 102 people, including journalists, for reporting and writing on the recent communal violence in the state.

The Tripura Police has also booked four Supreme Court lawyers, who had expressed discontent over incidents of violence and vandalism against Muslim-owned houses and shops, under the UAPA.

Gandhi on Monday wrote that 'Tripura is burning' is a call for corrective action and criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), saying that their "favourite cover-up tactic is shooting the messenger".

"Truth can't be silenced by UAPA," he added.

Gandhi appeared to be referring to the case of one of the journalists, Shyam Meera Singh, who has alleged that he has been booked under the UAPA for merely tweeting “Tripura is burning”.

'Deeply Shocked'

Earlier, the Editors Guild of India (EGI) on Sunday had issued a statement saying that it was "deeply shocked" by the Tripura Police's action of invoking the UAPA, saying that there has been an "extremely disturbing trend" of using this "harsh law" for merely reporting on and protesting against communal violence.

"The Guild is of the opinion that this is an attempt by the state government to deflect attention away from its own failure to control majoritarian violence, as well as to take action against the perpetrators of this. Governments cannot use stringent laws like UAPA to suppress reporting on such incidents," a release from the EGI said.

Last week, Gandhi had alleged that Muslims were being attacked in Tripura and asked how long the government would pretend to be deaf and blind.

Gandhi on Thursday tweeted in Hindi: "Our Muslim brothers are being brutalised in Tripura. Those who perpetrate hatred and violence in the name of Hindus are not Hindus but hypocrites."

Using the hashtag "#TripuraRiots", he asked, "How long will the government keep pretending to be blind and deaf?"