New Delhi: The Gujarat Police has filed an FIR against eminent lawyer Prashant Bhushan and former IAS officer Kannan Gopinathan for intending to outrage religious feelings, causing fear or alarm in the public and criminal conspiracy on the basis of a tweet.
According to the FIR, a copy of which has been seen by ThePrint, the FIR has been lodged under Section 295 A, 505 (1) B, 34, 120 B of the Indian Penal Code for a tweet by Gopinath, which was retweeted by Bhushan.
“Dear PM @narendramodi, if you are unable to sack @amitshah because you are afraid of him, then that’s ok. But then try and adjust him in some lighter ministry like I&B.
@PrakashJavdekar could do with some help,” Gopinathan said in his tweet dated 30 March.
Btw @gujaratpolice, finally got to know that this is the tweet for which I am booked under 295A.
But when did criticising @narendramodi became insulting religion?
He might be a Godman for you, but for us he is just another political leader
Or has he started new religion now?? pic.twitter.com/U5Nks0RhYD
— Kannan Gopinathan (@naukarshah) April 18, 2020
The FIR against Bhushan came on the basis of a tweet dated 28 March in which the lawyer said, “As crores starve & walk hundreds of miles home due to forced lockdown, our heartless ministers celebrate consuming & feeding the opium of Ramayana & Mahabharata to the people!”
As crores starve & walk hundreds of miles home due to forced lockdown, our heartless ministers celebrate consuming & feeding the opium of Ramayana & Mahabharata to the people! https://t.co/eJqFkBmZu5
— Prashant Bhushan (@pbhushan1) March 28, 2020
Bhushan was reacting to a tweet by Union Minister Prakash Javadekar in which he was seen watching Ramayan on Doordarshan at the time of the Covid pandemic.
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‘Could cause fear and alarm among the public’
On the basis of the tweets, a retired army officer complained to the police saying that Gopinathan’s tweet could cause fear and alarm among the public and disturb public tranquility such that individuals would be encouraged to act against the State.
Referring to both Gopinathan and Bhushan, the complainant said that “the offenders and their accomplices, as a part of their conspiracies and common intention have made blatantly false assertions on Twitter with a clear intention to disrupt the unified national challenged spearheaded by the Honorable Prime Minister against the pandemic.”
For Bhushan, the complainant argued that by using the word “opium” for Ramayana and Mahabharata, he had sought to malign the religion, and his “ulterior motives” needed to be unearthed.
“The offender by bringing in the religion and using such a derogatory and slanderous word for pious religious scripture is not only unacceptable and unwarranted but also illegal and seemingly driven by some ulterior motives,” the complainant said.
Both Bhushan and Gopinathan did not respond to calls by ThePrint when contacted for a response.
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Yum. The law of probability just caught up with Mr. Bhushan; keep being a gadfly over and over again and it carches up with you………
Just because Hindus are a majority group in this country, does not mean any one can make offensive statements with impunity.
Makes me wonder how this guy made common cause with Anna Hazare? May be this is why Anna went his own way.
Good
I feel sorry for Kannan. He was expecting an election ticket from the Commis in Kerala. LDF hanged him to dry. Maybe coming election he may get a ticket if he continues with his tantrums.
India and its extreme religious sentimentality is backward beyond belief.
Wanted to make a comment. But felt discretion is better part of valour. Comment may become FIR worthy.
Here is a challenge for them or anybody. Tweet similarly about quran .
Radical Muslims are evil because a cleric will issue a fatwa against people who criticize the Quran, but I’m great because I am advocating people to get locked up for suggesting that the PM is using the telecasting of Ramayan and Mahabharat as distraction from his incompetence.
Were you born stupid or did your parents teach you how to be an idiot?
Throw these traitors to Pakistan
Andh Bhakts are getting their khaki kacchas all twisted up their posteriors any time someone criticizes their supreme leader. Unfortunately, the supreme leader stands exposed for his incompetence, bigotry, and megalomania, not to mention pettiness.
Modi Shah gang have turned India into a tinpot dictatorship. Mother India weeps.
Do no ka pichh…. laal kar do
I won’t be surprised if this retired army officer is rewarded through some job “allegedly” in fight against Corona which the “honorable prime minister is spearheading”. Who will be surprised if he is even rehabilitated on his old post. Boss, remember the slogan, “Modi hai toh…”
The truth of the matter is, the PM has passed the buck to the states without passing the real bucks to them.
Looks like you are a man of quite some refined taste. But talk like the hoi polloi when you want someone arrested for his views.
I don’t believe that this one is actually an officer at all let alone of the Army .
However as a reality check is due , all Army officers are not of the quality that most of us associate with them. There are plenty of black sheep there too ! If so, this one would undoubtedly be one , who has not understood the freedoms that our great book guarantees and surely one who earned a living than serve the armed forces ! Although this was the case earlier too, the clear politicisation is now, bringing forth scum from within !
Kannan Gopinathan’s tweet and subsequent response both are in very bad taste. I can’t believe such a mannerless person displaying rude behavior could go through IAS test. He should be immediately arrested. May be he wants him arrested as it may be part of his politics.
Bhakt logic again. Just because something is in “bad taste ” he should be arrested ? Going by that logic most of the bhakts should be behind bars as their posts are absolutely atrocious.