Chakravarti Sulibele uses wing commander Abhinandhan Varthaman's image to seek votes for BJP
Mangaluru: Chakravarti Sulibele on Saturday shared a post on Facebook which clearly violated the instructions of the Election Commission of India which had barred usages of Armed Forces and their actions to gain political mileage ahead of Lok Sabha Elections in the country.
Sulibele shared a post with an image of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, urging people to vote for BJP on the EVM machines if they want to become an wing commander and experience air strikes.
The post was subjected to heavy criticism by people on social media who slammed the Hindutva activist for using Armed Forces’ operations for political gains and insulting the courage and patriotism of soldiers of the country.
“Do you want to become a wing commander? Press on the Lotus symbol on EVMs during elections and experience Airstrikes” the post read.
Election Commission of India has instructed political parties not use images of soldiers or the operations of armed forces for political gains after former Navt Chief had written open letter to the commission to immediately intervene and stop political parties from using armed forces for their political gains.
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Press bodies demand withdrawal of FIR Against Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair
New Delhi: Several press organisations have called for the withdrawal of the FIR filed by the Uttar Pradesh Police against Mohammed Zubair, co-founder of fact-checking platform Alt News. The FIR includes allegations of endangering India’s sovereignty, unity, and integrity under s. 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The case stems from Zubair’s social media post on October 3, where he shared a video of Hindutva leader Yati Narsinghanand’s speech that allegedly contained derogatory remarks about Prophet Muhammad. The video, shared on X (formerly Twitter), led to protests from Muslim groups across several cities. The complaint against Zubair was filed by Udita Tyagi, general secretary of the Yati Narsimhanand Saraswati Foundation, claiming the post was intended to incite violence.
On November 27, the Allahabad High Court was informed that s. 152 of the BNS and s. 66 of the Information Technology Act had been added to the FIR. While the court allowed these additions, press bodies expressed strong opposition to the charges, calling them a misuse of laws meant to stifle press freedom and dissent.
The Press Club of India described s. 152 as a "new avatar" of the sedition law, warning of its potential to silence media and free thinkers. Similarly, DIGIPUB, an association of digital news organisations, condemned the FIR as a "vindictive and unreasonable overreach" by the authorities.
DIGIPUB questioned whether the Uttar Pradesh government intends to target journalists who expose hate speech against minorities. It urged the police to shift focus to prosecuting individuals making hate speeches rather than harassing journalists like Zubair.
The Allahabad High Court has scheduled the next hearing on December 3, directing the investigating officer to provide detailed affidavits regarding the charges. Meanwhile, Zubair has sought legal protection against arrest.
