Activist Disha’s Arrest Shows Govt’s Frustration: Congress

Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Monday came out in support of climate activist Disha Ravi who was arrested by Delhi police over the “toolkit” controversy related to farmers’ protest on social media.

Besides extending support to the climate activist, senior Congress leader launched a scathing attack on the Central government.

“It is really ignominious to note that a 22-year-old environmental activist has become the victim of tyrannical govt, who thought that better to hector down a girl for her offence of supporting the farmers’ agitation and bow down before #China in #Ladakh than to uphold the basic rights of the common citizenry, and to teach a lesson to China,” Chowdhury tweeted.

Attacking the central government over the arrest of the climate activist, the Congress leader said, “Narendra Modi Ji, you have been defeated morally by the satyagrahi farmers of India. It reflects your frustration in trouncing upon the independent thinking girl, putting her in jail. Today or tomorrow people of the country will deliver you a poetic justice.”

Chowdhury in a subsequent tweet also said, “It is really ignominious to note that a 22-year-old environmental activist has become the victim of tyrannical govt, who thought that better to hector down a girl for her offence of supporting the farmers ‘ agitation and bow down before China in Ladakh than to uphold the basic rights of the common citizenry, and to teach a lesson to China.”

Several political leaders slammed Delhi Police for arresting 21-year-old climate activist Disha Ravi from Bengaluru and termed her arrest as “unwarranted harassment, unfortunate and shocking”. She was arrested for allegedly editing and disseminating the “toolkit” on social media.

Another Congress leader P Chidambaram said, “The Indian state must be standing on very shaky foundations if Disha Ravi, a 22-year-old student of Mount Carmel College and a climate activist, has become a threat to the nation.”

A Delhi court on Sunday remanded Disha to five days of police custody following her arrest in connection with allegedly spreading a “toolkit” related to the farmers’ protest. Duty Metropolitan Magistrate Dev Saroha of Patiala House Courts Complex allowed Delhi Police to quiz Ravi for five days. She was arrested last week.

According to the Delhi Police officials, Disha is a key conspirator in the “toolkit” case as she had admitted during the initial interrogation to editing, adding some things in the “toolkit” and spreading it further.

Last week, the Delhi Police sent a communication to Google seeking registration details and activity log of the account through which a “toolkit” related to the farmers’ protest was created and uploaded on the social media platform. (ANI)