The Uttar Pradesh Police has registered a sedition case against content creator Arpit Sharma for a video he posted on social media about the ongoing protests in Nepal, The Wire reported on Saturday.
The case was filed under Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which pertains to acts endangering the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India. The provision has been criticised by rights groups as a repackaged version of the colonial-era sedition law.
According to the first information report lodged on Thursday, Sharma’s video, posted on X, was aimed at provoking unrest in India and undermining national integrity.
Nepal has been in political turmoil this week following protests against a government ban on 26 social media platforms. The demonstrations, led largely by young people, soon escalated into a wider movement against alleged corruption and turned violent.
In his video, Sharma reportedly praised Nepal’s youth for speaking out and questioned why Indians were not protesting against issues such as corruption and hate speech. He later told The Wire that his comments were made when the protests were still peaceful and denied any intent to incite violence.
Since the case was filed, Sharma has allegedly received death threats online. He claimed that his workplace in England, where he is employed as a chartered accountant, has been doxxed and that his family in India has also been threatened.
(With inputs from Scroll)
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