FIR against Aakar Patel for ‘offensive’ post on Twitter

BENGALURU:A case has been registered against former executive director of human rights advocacy group Amnesty International, Aakar Patel, for posting “offensive” content on social media, which allegedly sought to instigate a section of people against the government.

The case was registered on Tuesday following a complaint by the police inspector of JC Nagar police station alleging that one of Patel’s tweets was “offensive.” Referring to protests across the US following the death of an African American man in police custody, Patel, in a tweet on May 31, said, “We need protests like these from Dalits, Muslims, Adivasis, poor and women. World will notice. Protest is a craft.”

The case has been registered for provocation with intent to cause riot. Reacting, Amnesty International India director Avinash Kumar said, “The FIR filed by the Bengaluru police against Aakar Patel is just another example of how the right to dissent is being increasingly criminalised in the country.”

“The Bengaluru police must stop abusing its authority and put an end to the intimidation and harassment of Aakar Patel for exercising his constitutionally guaranteed right to freedom of expression...peacefully protesting against the government is not a crime. Not agreeing with the policies of those in power does not make you a traitor either,” he said in a statement.

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