- Chandan Sharma
- for BBC Hindi
image source, Getty Images
Mohd Zubair, the co-founder of the Alt News fact-checking site, was arrested on Monday by the Delhi Police Special Cell for injuring religious sentiments. After that, on Tuesday, he was transferred to police custody for four days.
According to Delhi police, an FIR was registered four years ago under sections 153-A of the CPI (fostering enmity in society) and 295-A (intentionally injuring religious sentiments), under of whom he has been arrested.
On Monday, India signed an agreement with the G-7, an organization in the world’s developed countries, to “protect freedom of expression online and offline and to protect the freedom of civil society.” “.
In this regard, the seven permanent members of the G-7, the European Union and the five guest countries, including India, issued a four-page joint statement. He said: “All partners will work together to protect freedom of expression and thought online and offline.” In addition, the agreement says, “Make the world of the Internet more open, free, reliable and secure.”
Thus, after these two incidents arose on the same day (June 27), many questions began to arise on social media on Tuesday.
“What if just a compromise”
The Committee to Protect Journalists issued a statement saying: “The arrest of journalist Mohammad Zubair is another example of the diminished freedom of the press in India, where the government has created a hostile and insecure environment against journalists “.
Following the arrest of Mohamed Zubair, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres spokesman Stephan Uzerich said: “In any corner of the world, it is very important that people have the freedom to comment, that journalists have the freedom to work without fear of harassment. ”
He said this in response to a question posed after the arrest of Mohammad Zubair.
Senior journalist Siddharth Varadarajan told BBC Hindi: “I think this is a kind of irony. What is called freedom of expression in the country is over. If the government wants, anyone is arrested in a minor case. There is many examples like Mohammad Zubair The government has made a deal with the G-7, but the respect that must be respected for freedom of expression is not there.
and another senior Journalist Paranjay Guha Thakurta It says, “What our Prime Minister Modi ji says about freedom of speech going abroad, but the history of his country is different.”
Many people associated with politics have accused the government of bias, All India MP Majlis-e-Ittihad-ul-Muslim Asaduddin Owaisi tweeted and questioned whether BJP spokesman Nupur Sharma is also a case of incitement to religious sentiments, but was not arrested while Mohammad. Zubair was arrested.
People’s opinion is divided
As in other cases, people’s opinions are divided in this case, there are those who support the action of the government that has justified the arrest of Mohammad Zubair.
A senior BJP leader has called Mohammad Zubair a “jihadi” and accused him of inciting violence. BJP General Secretary CT Ravi tweeted: “He (Rahul Gandhi) did not oppose the arrest of a Marathi actress for a simple Facebook post in Maharashtra when women and children were raped in Rajasthan, he keep your mouth shut, but shed tears for a jihadist. ”
Similarly, Bharatiya Janata party spokesman Gaurav Bhatia justified the arrest of Mohammad Zubair.
Addressing reporters at the party office, he said: “If someone identifies as a self-proclaimed fact checker, they do not become a fact checker. Whether it is a news agency, a journalist, a fact checker. facts, he is respected.But he who is a fact checker.He will consult or show news, he cannot be selective.He adapts to any political party and any community, and he points to another person.This is not justice either.
International organizations concerned about the state of India
According to last year’s report, India ranks 142th out of 180 countries in the Press Freedom Index. India ranked 133rd in 2016 and dropped to 142th in 2021.
Many Asian countries are well above India, while Pakistan ranks 145th, India’s position in this index has steadily declined over the years.
Similarly, Human Rights Watch, a global human rights organization, has also raised serious concerns about press freedom in India.
A report released from New York on May 3 this year said: “Journalists and opponents are being targeted in India. Journalists criticizing the government are being harassed both online and offline, behind which there are Hindu people and organizations that have the support of the government. ”
Following the arrest of Mohammad Zubair, human rights organization Amnesty International issued a statement: “The Indian government has attacked Mohammad Zubair because he was exposing the propaganda campaign against and discriminating against minorities. The arrests show that the threat to human rights activists has reached a level of crisis. “
“Frustration with the judiciary rather than with the government”
At the same time, Supreme Court Attorney General Rebecca John says India’s current environment is intimidating, saying the country’s judiciary is more responsible for it.
She says: “Today, I am more disappointed with the stance of my judiciary than with the government, because this institution can protect the personal freedom and rights of Indians. And it is useless to expect improvement when it does not.
According to Rebecca John, “The rule of law in any country is maintained by its judiciary. The law and the constitution, which are very important to every Democratic Republic, are only protected by the courts. But I deeply regret that with the passage of time our courts have been unable to protect the law, the rule of law, civil and personal liberties.
According to him, “governments will come and go, but when these institutional methods of controlling them, of applying the Constitution, when they fail, the fear begins. In such a situation, the agreement made on freedom of expression in the G-7 is a joke. On the one hand you are signing the agreement, while on the other someone is being arrested for their tweet.
On the other hand, Paranjay Guha Thakurta says: “What the government does in the country is more important than what Prime Minister Modi says and does abroad. So far, the government has not taken any action on the controversial statements. of Yeti Narasimhanand, our two honorable deputies Sadhvi Pragya and Sakshi Maharaj.
On the other hand, Rebecca John says that if all the institutions in the country do their job properly, then the problem will solve itself.
She says: “Every organization should do its job, be it the Judiciary or the Electoral Commission, when all of them will do their job, then whatever the governments want, they cannot do illegal work. And even if you do, it can be largely controlled. Well, the real power is in the hands of the people.
image source, Twitter / Bundeskanzler Olaf Scholz
“What will be the role of the G7 in this”
The seven permanent members of the G-7, America, Canada, Japan, Britain, Germany, France and Italy, along with the European Union and the five allies India, South Africa, Indonesia, Argentina and Senegal have signed this agreement.
He affirms that all members will work to strengthen their democracy and welcomes all courageous defenders of the democratic system who stand up against oppression and violence.
All parties to this agreement are committed to advancing international cooperation to enhance the resilience of democratic societies worldwide. This would allow for open public debate, free and plural media, and the free flow of information online and offline in a democracy.
Along with this, it has also been said that it raises awareness about cyber threats, expands cyber cooperation and increases digital infrastructure.
At the same time, along with Internet propaganda, it has also been said that it avoids the dangers of manipulating information and interfering with it. And it has also been claimed that it increases online and offline access to all sources of reliable information and data by increasing digital skills and digital literacy.
The agreement resolves to increase transparency in the fight against violent, extremist and provocative content online.