The arrest of two girls over their Facebook post on shutdown in Mumbai for Bal Thackeray’s funeral today again opened a can of worms with netizens calling the move a “social media hijack by the powerful and the fundamentalists”.
Social media was abuzz with tweets and posts about the arrest, with most referring to the arrest as yet another move to curb freedom of speech on the Internet.
Noted journalist Gautam Chikermane tweeted “First Pondicherry businessman, now 21 year old Palghar girl. Next: all of us. Social media hijack by the powerful and the fundamentalists”.
The Minister of State (Communications and IT) Milind Deora tweeted: “To learn who rules over you, simply find out who you are not allowed to criticize ~ Voltaire”.
Communication specialist Alyque Padamsee expressed shock at the arrest and the vandalism at the clinic of one of the girl’s uncle.
“I want to know how these girls have broken the law when all they said is that why should Mumbai come to a standstill. There is nothing derogatory against Thackeray. I do not see anything illegal in that,” he said.
Padamsee further said the Constitution provides everyone free speech and that “no one should be arrested on such flimsy grounds”.
Pavan Duggal, Cyber law Expert and an advocate with Supreme Court also voiced similar views. “This is high time for the government for the review of the law. The government should amend the IT Act so as to narrow down its provisions as some of these violate our constitutional right of free speech.”
He added that it would be a bigger challenge for the prosecution to prove that the statement could incite communal disharmony and violence.
“This should not be seen merely as “social media regulation”, but as a restriction on freedom of speech and expression by both the law and the police,” the Centre for Internet and Society Policy Director, Pranesh Prakash said.
The two girls—Shaheen Dhada and Renu—were sent to 14-day judicial custody by a court before which they were produced today but were granted bail within hours after they furnished personal bonds.
There was also an attack on the clinic of an uncle of one of them by Sena activists.
The arrests also sparked an outrage with Press Council of India chief, Markandey Katju today demanding “immediate” action against police personnel involved.
While Dhada was arrested for the post, Dhada’s friend Renu was arrested for ‘liking’ the post.
“Police arrested both of them under section 505(2) (statements creating or promoting enmity, hatred or ill-will between classes). Today, they were granted bail,” their advocate Sudhir Gupta said.
The duo was arrested following a police complaint lodged by a local Sena leader.
After the comment was posted, a mob of nearly 40 Shiv Sainiks allegedly barged into Dhada’s uncle’s orthopaedic hospital at Palghar and vandalised the place yesterday.
However, no arrests were made in connection with the attack.
Some other tweets in support of the girls read: “Hatred of minorities, liberals is an epidemic on Twitter. Law shd be harsh on hatespeak not on democratic rights of 21 year olds!Cheerio” (@sagarikaghose) and “So the girl n frnd got arrested for posting stuff on FB did Shiv sainiks get arrested for destroying the doc’s hospital?? #Mumbai #Balasaheb” (@SocoMumbai).
Last month, a businessman from Puducherry was arrested on the charge of posting “offensive” messages on social media targeting Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram’s son Karti Chidambaram.
Keywords: Netizens flay, Mumbai girls’ arrest, Facebook post, shutdown in Mumbai, Bal Thackeray’s funeral, can of worms, social media hijack, powerful and the fundamentalists, tweets and posts, move to curb, freedom of speech, on Internet
Comments:
Such a shame on police and the government. This shows how democratic the country is. They find out and arrest innocent ppl posting comments on internet, but they cannot catch criminals who rape women (incl teens and babies). Where is the right of speech and right to comment. The girls must sue the police and the government.
Ridiculous act of a bunch scoundrels with ruling support. This happens
only in Indian demo- crazy !!!
Ridiculous act of a bunch of scoundrels with ruling support. This
happens only in Indian demo- crazy !!!
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This is heights of bureaucracy. Politicians from Telengana are openly accusing the others to kill them/ shoe them and why is the Govt mum on these guys. If tweeting is a considred as a crime with 14days remand, then the Ploiticians should be hanged and not a 14 days remand.
Long live Mahatma Gandhi.. Long live Rahul Gandhi .. Long Live Vadhra..Uh oh.. Sorry...I am scared... Will I be arrested by Mumbai police under section 505(2) (statements creating or promoting enmity, hatred or ill-will between classes) ??
Is mumbai police out there to protect citizens or goondaas ?
Three cheers brave girls for speaking your mind. It is not for you to
hide your face; it is the government and the judiciary who should hang
their head in shame for their inability to protect the Indian
Constitution and the right of the citizen.
We get arrested for ridiculous issues !! If I would give my mail Id - I would be called a fool. Better a fool, a coward rather than being jailed. If it was only me, I could reconcile with it may be in my worst dreams.
But the problem is that my relatives will also suffer severely
I wonder what of the freedom of expression i was promised of?, I guess i was cheated..., Are we better off after change from the rulers 60 years ago to the current one?
Its a shame, we harm our own people. Its so swift in punishing the weak. Wonder what happened to guy arrested during Mumbai attacks few years ago...
Or Is it that we have started cleaning up, arresting all crime from just yesterday? Ok in that case… we give it some more time... if so all of us will be arrested, except for children less than 1 year, yes and I guess they could leave the dead in peace.
If you make unwanted comments at inappropriate times it will have its affects especially when it is agains a giant like Balasaheb.....
Bravo, girls...3 cheers for your brave and honest words. We are with you, and shame on Mumbai police. Criminals like Thakre, deserved jail not state honor. Now that he is departed, its against our heritage, to say anything, but he will face what he did to many poor human beings esp, in Bombay. His days of terror are remembered by all. Evrybody has to face the Almighty, and its his time now.
The girl was absolutely correct in posting her comments. While I
admire Balaji myself, no
one has the right to shut down any city or any installation which
creates inconvenience to
the public. The hurry shown by the police in arresting the girl
reflects the hollowness of
the pathetic law and order situation prevailing in our country. while
the big fishes like
the politicians, corporate bosses and bureaucrats can get away with
anything and everything
no matter how heinuos their crimes, a common man can land into jail
even for uttering an
innocuous comment without any crime. The common man is not even
allowed to show their
disgust prevailing in the country while the elite can gobble the
entire country and the law
will be a mute spectator. Who says India is a democracy? Well it is,
but just in books and
in the constitution. while I do not belittle the death of Bala sahed,
the shiv sainiks and other supporting him must understand that it was
a natural death.
I am too scared to comment that's all I can say.
My freedom to speech is limited to say that "I am too scared to comment"
i agree ki freedom of speech sab ki rights hai par kisi ki death k 2 din k baad Aap agar aisa comments karoge toh jarur uske chahne walo ko bura toh lagega....
maana ki galati unn logo ki b hai jinone unn girls ki ghar pai tod fod ki par agar unn girls ko pata tha ki mumbai k halat filal kya hai toh toda sochna chahiye tha na apne nahi toh apne self or family k bare mai....
puri India ne dekha ki kaise 25 lakh se b upar log join hue kuch to baat hogi ki etne logo ne support kiya jiske ek Aawaz se puri mumbai baand hoti hai usspe tum comment karo ge sochne wali baat hai uske chahne wale aise hi kaise jaane denge
This is very shocking thing. why is that every where in India, people's sentiments are getting hurt if some one expresses their views. Protests against them and then the government removes the objectionable matter? be it films or advertisements or comments on the Net.
yet there are some politicians and their followers who use such disgusting words and spread regional violence and communal violence and they are not touched?
The government should give us a proper guidelines as to the citizens who have the right to freedom of speech and who do not. May be then we will realise that an ordinary person is not supposed to express his views
It sounds like who can resort to violence are the ones who have the right for anything in this country
There is nothing wrong in the girls Post
there was no degatory words in her post which says she is insulting Thackrey ...
Really Now I can say Still there should be someone to stop all this
We lost our Right to Speak law now ....
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