The Ayodhya seer who had announced a Rs 10 crore bounty for Tamil Nadu minister Udhayanidhi Stalin’s head – over his remarks on Sanatan Dharma – has been booked in Tamil Nadu amid a political war of words. But the FIR has also named the Quint’s Uttar Pradesh correspondent Piyush Rai, who had first reported on the bounty the seer had announced, with a video.
Several journalists have condemned the move, tagging the DMK government in Tamil Nadu on social media.
उत्तर प्रदेश के जर्नलिस्ट पीयूष राय (@Benarasiyaa) के इस ट्वीट पर तमिलनाडु पुलिस ने हेट स्पीच की FIR दर्ज की है। एक जर्नलिस्ट का कार्य खबरों को परोसना होता है, वही कार्य पीयूष राय ने किया। फिर ये FIR क्यों? https://t.co/Oc5xYzkyIL
— Sachin Gupta (@SachinGuptaIN) September 6, 2023
Why has a case been filed against @Benarasiyaa for merely reporting? How is this any different from what UP government does when it files cases against journalists for merely doing their job @mkstalin? https://t.co/2cMQU6Q0uE
— Rohini Singh (@rohini_sgh) September 6, 2023
The FIR against @Benarasiyaa is baseless. It means even sharing information is also a crime. @arivalayam you should withdraw the FIR respectfully and apologize to an honest journalist. pic.twitter.com/JDkUVZnvc4
— Bhadohi Wallah (@Mithileshdhar) September 6, 2023
पत्रकार का काम है ख़बर करना और उसे पब्लिक तक पहुँचाना, पत्रकार माध्यम है और मौजूदा दौर में सरकारों के लिए सबसे कमजोर कड़ी। जिसके मनमुताबिक न हो वो FIR दर्ज कर दे। इसका भी माकूल जवाब दिया जाएगा। @Benarasiyaa @arivalayam @Udhaystalin https://t.co/4FsqTS3kad
— Lokesh Rai (@lokeshRlive) September 6, 2023
Hello @arivalayam since when sharing an information on @X has become crime? Why has @Benarasiyaa been slapped with an FIR ? He is one of the most credible journalists in Uttar Pradesh.
— Saurabh Sharma (@saurabhsherry) September 6, 2023
Immediately withdraw the complaint against him and tender an unconditional apology in writing https://t.co/vPWUWnUdGb
उदयनिधि का सिर काटने वाले को 10 करोड़ का इनाम देने वाले बयान पर तमिलनाडु पुलिस ने संत परमहंस पर FIR दर्ज की है.
— Utkarsh Singh (@UtkarshSingh_) September 6, 2023
लेकिन उनका वीडियो शेयर करने पर पत्रकार @Benarasiyaa पर भी FIR दर्ज हुई है. न्यूज रिपोर्ट करना कब से गुनाह हो गया @PoliceTamilnadu? @mkstalin https://t.co/wn2E4BwoaV
पीयूष राय भारत की सद्भावना के पत्रकार हैं। उन्होंने एक ईमानदार और बिना राग द्वेष के कार्य करने वाले पत्रकार का कर्तव्य निभाया है। उनके विरुद्ध तमिलनाडु में मुकदमा दर्ज किया जाना अनुचित और दुर्भाग्यपूर्ण है। कार्रवाई उन पर करके दिखाइए जो सद्भावना पर निरंतर प्रहार कर रहे हैं।
— Brajesh Misra (@brajeshlive) September 6, 2023
The FIR was lodged by the Madurai cyber crime police after DMK Madurai legal wing convener J Devasenan filed a complaint with the Madurai Commissioner. Devasenan’s complaint named Rai as the person who “spread the video” on social media, which caused fear and incited riots.
The case was lodged under IPC sections 153 (wantonly giving provocation, with intent to cause riot), 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc, and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony), 504 (punishment for criminal intimidation), 505(1)(b) (statements conducing to public mischief) and 506(2) (punishment for criminal intimidation).
Police told The News Minute that Piyush Rai’s name has been added to the FIR because it was in the complaint and it will seek legal opinion before proceeding further.
At an event organised by the Tamil Nadu Progressive Writers Forum last week, Stalin had said that Sanatan Dharma must be eradicated. “Mosquitoes, dengue, corona and malaria are things which we cannot oppose, we have to eradicate them. Sanatanam is also like this. Eradication and not opposing Sanatanam has to be our first task,” he had said.
Udhayanidhi was booked for his remarks, which triggered a political war of words, and invited sharp criticism from the BJP while leaving the opposition INDIA bloc seemingly divided over the issue.
BJP’s IT cell in-charge Amit Malviya has also been booked by the Trichy police for distorting Udhayanidhi’s speech. Malviya alleged that Udhayanidhi was calling for “genocide of 80 percent population of Bharat, who follow Sanatan Dharma”.
Amid the controversy, Ayodhya’s Tapasvi Chhawani temple’s sant Ramchandra Das Paramhans Acharya was caught on camera announcing a Rs 10 crore bounty. “If no one dares to kill Stalin, I will myself find him and kill him,” he purportedly said.
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