Gauhati High Court grants bail to man who posted ‘Taliban are not terrorists’ on Facebook
It is doubtful whether the contents of FB post alone can constitute cognizable offence, Court said
Gauhati (Assam): The Gauhati High Court on Monday granted bail to a person who was arrested on charges of allegedly posting on Facebook that the Taliban in Afghanistan were not terrorists.
The accused was booked under Section 120-B [Punishment of Criminal Conspiracy], Section 153-A(1)/153-B(1), Section 298 [Uttering, words, etc., with deliberate intent to wound the religious feelings], Sections 505(1) [Statements conducing public mischief] and 505(2) [Statements creating or promoting enmity, hatred or ill-will between classes] of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 read with Section 39 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, a report of Bar and Bench website stated.
Justice Suman Shivam who was hearing the case stated that there was nothing incriminating in regards to the Facebook post of the accused and granted bail to the accused.
The Court opined "There is nothing incriminating against the applicant save and except the fact that there is a Facebook post emanating from his personal account. It is doubtful as to whether the contents thereof alone would constitute a cognizable offence. In view of the above, I am of the view that further custodial detention of the applicant would be uncalled for in this case."
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BJP has history of ‘contradictory alliances’, says BK Hariprasad
Bengaluru: Congress MLC B. K. Hariprasad has launched a sharp attack on the BJP, accusing the party of hypocrisy over its criticism of alliance politics in Tamil Nadu.
In a post on X on Friday, Hariprasad said BJP leader B. L. Santhosh criticising the Congress party’s alliance politics in Tamil Nadu was “not just laughable, but the height of political contradiction.”
He said the Congress has always joined hands with like-minded parties to protect secular and democratic values in the country.
Hariprasad questioned the BJP over several of its past and present alliances across the country. Referring to Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Tripura, Bihar and Maharashtra, he accused the BJP of sharing power with parties it had earlier criticised.
He alleged that the BJP had aligned with separatist and corruption-linked political forces in different states for political gains.
“The BJP, which speaks against alliances today, should first look at its own political history,” he said, adding that the party’s record was full of “contradictions and changing stands.”
Hariprasad also accused the BJP of using central agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate, Income Tax Department and CBI as political tools to target opposition leaders, topple governments and influence electoral mandates.
He further claimed that the people of Tamil Nadu had strongly rejected the BJP and its ideology in the recent election.
“Congress forms alliances to protect the Constitution, secularism and national unity, while the BJP enters into alliances only for power,” he said.
