Police registered case against Dalit PhD student leader who demanded answers from the Central Government on Rafale deal, student organizations protest across the country
Prayagraj (Allahabad), Uttar Pradesh — Uttar Pradesh Police has registered a case against Manish Kumar, a Dalit PhD scholar and student leader of Allahabad University, for raising questions on the Central Government on the Rafale fighter aircraft deal on social media.
Manish Kumar, who is the Uttar Pradesh state president of the All India Students Association (AISA), posted on Facebook and raised questions about the Rafale deal and the alleged losses in the India-Pakistan conflict after the Pahalgam terror attack. 26 people were killed in this terrorist attack.
In his post, Manish wrote, “Why has the Modi government not yet denied the reports claiming that India lost several Rafale jets during the conflict? Why has no transparency or clarity been given on this till now?”
On May 14, the police filed an FIR against Manish under Section 353(2) of the Indian Penal Code (BNS) and Section 67 of the Information Technology (IT) Act, which deal with statements and online content that are deemed inflammatory, offensive or misleading.
The police have not clearly stated the reason for filing the case under these sections, but activists and student organisations say such action threatens the right to debate and dissent in academic institutions.
At present, Manish has not been arrested, but the legal process is ongoing. According to a report by Clarion India, several Hindutva groups are preparing to challenge the FIR in court, saying it violates the freedom of expression guaranteed by the Constitution.
The AISA issued a statement condemning the FIR, saying, “The FIR against Comrade Manish is no exception. It is part of the ongoing crackdown on dissent across the country after the Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor. There have been over 3,000 arrests in Jammu and Kashmir alone.”
The statement further said that 42 people were jailed for ‘pro-Pakistan’ posts in Assam, while 30 arrests and 40 FIRs have been registered in Uttar Pradesh so far. AISA said in its statement, “Students, artists and citizens are being targeted across the country. This is not democracy, but the rule of fear.”
Courtesy : Rajan Chaudhary, Hindi Newsw