After Alt News co-founder and journalist Mohammed Zubair was arrested by the Delhi Police on Monday, 27 June, several politicians took to Twitter to voice their condemnation of the move.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that every person who speaks out against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is a threat to the party.
He tweeted,
“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.”
The case against Zubair pertains to a 2022 tweet by him over which they received a complaint from a Twitter user claiming that their religious sentiments were hurt.
He has been arrested under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 153 A (promotion of enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language) and 295 A (outraging religious feelings of any class).
'Highly Condemnable': AIMIM Chief Owaisi
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi said that the arrest of Zubair is "highly condemnable" as it was done in "total violation of the due process".
He tweeted, "Arrest of Zubair is highly condemnable. He’s been arrested with no notice and in some unknown FIR. Total violation of due process. does nothing about anti-Muslim genocidal slogans but acts swiftly against “crime” of reporting hate speech and countering misinformation."
'Delhi Police Bending Over Backwards To Please Sahibs''
Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra said that the Delhi Police is “bending over backwards” to please the government. She said that “Ms Fringe Sharma,” referring to former BJP spokeswoman Nupur Sharma, is charged with the “exact same offences” but enjoys a “life of protection.”
She tweeted, “Delhi Police bending over backwards to please sahibs and thumb nose at law. Zubair 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.”
'Death Blow to Liberty and Democracy'
Reacting to Zubair’s arrest, Congress MP Karti Chidambaram, who is an accused in the Chinese visa scam case, said that the move was a “death blow” to liberty and democracy in the country.
Karti tweeted, “Institutional collapse and capture has dealt a death blow to liberty and democracy.”
He said in another tweet, “It’s each and everyone of us next . There is no way out of this abyss.”
DIGIPUB Urges Delhi Police To Withdraw the Case
Meanwhile, the DIGIPUB News India Foundation also released a statement on Twitter and condemned “in the strongest possible terms” the arrest of Zubair.
The statement read, “DIGIPUB, an organisation of digital media organisations, strongly condemns the arrest on 27 June of Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair.”
The organisation urged the Delhi Police to withdraw the case immediately and said that use of such stringent laws as tools against journalists who are considered the fourth pillar of democracy must be stopped.
It added, “In a democracy, where every individual possesses the right to exercise the freedom of speech and expression, it is unjustifiable that such stringent laws are being used as tools against journalists, who have been accorded the role of playing watchdog against the misuse of the institutions of the state.”
“We stand firmly with Zubair,” said the statement.
No 'Pretence of Equality Under Law': Omar Abdullah
National Conference (NC) vice president Omar Abdullah posted screenshots of recent tweets by Zubair and BJP leader Naveen Kumar Jindal and said that the government is no longer pretending to treat everyone equal under the law anymore.
He tweeted, "Only one of these tweets will get you arrested for hurting religious sentiments and no prizes for guessing which one. There isn’t even the pretence of equality under law any longer."
'Traders of Lies Don’t Like Investigators of the Truth': Akhilesh Yadav
Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav said that those who trade in lies do not like those who investigate the truth.
He tweeted in Hindi, "Those who trade in lies don't like investigators of the truth... they are ones who nurture hatemongers up their sleeves."
‘Person Who Brought the Truth to the Fore Is Arrested’: Bhim Army Chief Aazad
Bhim Army Chief Chandra Shekhar Aazad also condemned the arrest and said, "A scene from a film from 1983 was tweeted in 2018, and in 2022, Alt News co-founder Mohd Zubair was arrested by the Delhi Police."
"Fake news spoils the atmosphere, but here the person who brought the truth to the fore is arrested," he added.
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