In a concerning development, the Coimbatore City Cyber Crime Police took oppressive measures on Tuesday (20 June 2023) by apprehending Uma Gargi, a vocal supporter of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and a social media influencer. The arrest was made on charges of sharing allegedly defamatory posts against Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, former CM M Karunanidhi, and Dravidian movement leader EV Ramasamy.
சகோதரி @Umagarghi26 கைது.
திமுக எதிர்ப்பு அரசியல் கருத்துக்களை துணிச்சலாக வைக்கும் பெண்களை குறிவைத்துள்ளது திமுக.சென்னை எழும்பூர் சைபர்கிரைம் காவல்நிலையத்திற்கு 21.06.23 அன்று காலை விசாரனைக்கு ஆஜராக இருந்த நிலையில் இன்றே கைது செய்துள்ளது காவல்துறை.
தமிழ்நாட்டில் பல…
— Selva Kumar (@Selvakumar_IN) June 20, 2023
The action was initiated based on a complaint filed by the coordinator of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) Information Technology (IT) wing in Coimbatore district, raising concerns about the government’s increasing interference with freedom of speech.
Uma Gargi has been charged under the stringent Section 505 (1)(c) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). This provision criminalizes the act of making, publishing or circulating statements or reports that are deemed to incite enmity or hatred among different communities based on race, religion, caste, or other identities.
The alleged defamatory comments made by Gargi revolved around allegations against former CM Karunanidhi, claiming that he had received a substantial sum of Rs 200 crore as ‘commission’ from a Hyderabad-based company in connection with the establishment of a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Nanguneri, Tirunelveli district.
This arrest comes right after the government arrested SG Suryah (Tamil Nadu BJP State Secretary) last week for a tweet over the death of a hygiene worker who was allegedly forced to clean a faeces-filled drain by a Communist councillor.
The DMK government had allocated a sum in last year’s budget toward social media monitoring and the ITWReports handle on Twitter has been targetting individuals from the opposition party, the Bharatiya Janata Party, or just anyone who is a vocal supporter of the BJP.
Uma Gargi was recently felicitated at the Social Media Influencers meet by Tamil Nadu BJP leader, K Annamalai.
With inputs from News9 Live
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