Cops see toolkit link in unrest

Connect document on farm protests to R-Day chaos; warrants issued against Mumbai lawyer, Pune engineer

NEW DELHI: Police on Monday linked a social media toolkit on farm protests to clashes that rocked the Capital on Republic Day, saying the document aimed to spread misinformation and incite unrest, even as the arrest of a 22-year-old climate activist triggered outrage and allegations of muzzling dissent.

The activist, Disha Ravi, was arrested from her house in Bengaluru on Saturday on charges of sedition, intending to riot and criminal conspiracy, produced before a Delhi magistrate the next evening and sent to five days in custody.

She is accused of helping edit the online document, containing plans for protest and social media campaign strategy, that Swedish teen climate activist Greta Thunberg first publicised on February 3 in support of farmers agitating against three central laws.

Joint commissioner of police (cyber cell) Prem Nath said nonbailable warrants were issued against Mumbai-based lawyer Nikita Jacob and Pune-based activist Shantanu Muluk, who allegedly participated in an online video call with Disha and Khalistani activists on January 11. Muluk was the creator of the document and Jacob an editor, police added.

“The main aim of the toolkit was to create misinformation and disaffection against the lawfully enacted government. The toolkit sought to artificially amplify the fake news and other falsehoods and also sought to precipitate action on 26th January,” Nath said, referring to violence on Republic Day that saw farmers run riot on the streets and storm the Red Fort.

Ravi, a leader of the Indian arm of Thunberg’s climate crisis-related Fridays for Future movement, allegedly shared the document with the Swedish activist and “coaxed her to act”, said Nath.

Thunberg said she had no comment on the arrest. “We will investigate her [Ravi] role and charges will be framed against her at the time of filing the charge sheet,” a senior police officer said.