Freelance journalist Prashant Kanojia, charged last year with trying to malign the image of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, has been held again for allegedly posting a forged tweet, his family said on Tuesday.
He was “arrested” by the Uttar Pradesh police from his Delhi residence, said his wife Jagisha Arora on Twitter, and reportedly being brought to Lucknow.
No formal statement yet
Police are yet to formally issue a statement about his detention or arrest and the exact nature of allegations against him. However, according to an FIR registered at Hazratganj police station in Lucknow, Mr. Kanojia is accused of posting on Twitter the screenshot of a forged post attributed to Sushil Tiwari, a member of a little known fringe group called Hindu Army.
In the post, Mr. Kanojia allegedly makes a sarcastic remark on the poster shared in the name of Mr. Tiwari about barring entry to the Ram Mandir for OBC, SC and ST communities. The post could not be found on Mr. Tiwari’s timeline.
In the complaint, a Lucknow police sub-inspector said the post allegedly circulated by Mr. Kanojia was not only meant to malign the image of Mr. Tiwari but could also disturb public peace, hurt religious sentiments and spread discord among communities. The FIR cites a number of sections under the Indian Penal Code, including 153A, 153B, 420, 456 and Section 66 of the Information Technology Act.
Last year, Mr. Kanojia was arrested for allegedly posting an “objectionable comment” on Twitter. He had shared a video of a woman claiming before the media about having sent a marriage proposal to Mr. Adityanath and mocking the Chief Minister over it.
