A Dalit intellectual was on Tuesday arrested over a Facebook status that was critical of the Uttar Pradesh government and senior Samajwadi Party leaders over the suspension of IAS officer Durga Shakti Nagpal.
He has since been granted bail.
Kanwal Bharti was picked up from his home in Rampur district at 8.a.m., his son Moggalan told The Hindu.
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“Last night [on Monday night] he had posted on Facebook about the Durga Nagpal case and how it would backfire for the State,” Mr. Moggalan said.
Mr. Bharti has been charged under Sections 153/295 A of the IPC, which deal with “provocation with intent to cause riot” and “deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs.”
Mr. Moggalan, however, believes the arrest could be motivated by the fact that his father is known for his critical stance against the SP and SP MLA from Rampur, Azam Khan, through his writings.
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In his Facebook status, posted at 9.57 p.m. on Monday, Mr. Bharti said the Akhilesh Yadav government had totally failed on the recent UPPSC reservation and the Durga Shakti Nagpal issues. Senior SP leaders Akhilesh Yadav, Mulayam Singh, Shivpal Singh Yadav and Azam Khan were blind to the fact that the public did not consider them fit for democracy, he added.
“How they had been cut off from the public, the morale of criminals was high and unrestrained ministers had turned into monsters, they are penning down their own downfall.”
But to make these “power-blinded” persons see it was like trying to make a buffalo dance.
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