K'taka HC reserves verdict on Tejasvi Surya's plea to quash case for allegedly spreading fake news
Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court has reserved its verdict on a petition filed by BJP MP Tejasvi Surya seeking to quash a case registered against him for allegedly spreading fake news about a farmer’s suicide in Haveri district.
Justice M. Nagaprasanna, presiding over the matter, stated, “Heard, reserved,” after listening to arguments from both sides.
Surya’s senior counsel argued that the case lacked merit, stating, “The tweet in question was based on a news report. Even if taken at face value, no ingredients of s.353(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) are made out. The tweet was deleted, and the father of the deceased gave an interview to the media the following day.”
However, the state’s counsel opposed the plea, contending that the tweet portrayed the current administration in a negative light. The court expressed disapproval of political exploitation of such incidents, stating, “A farmer’s son commits suicide due to debts or other reasons, and politics is being played over it.”
The controversy arose after Surya tweeted on November 7, claiming that farmer Rudrappa Channappa Balikai died by suicide because his land was allegedly taken over by the Waqf Board. The tweet was deleted after the Haveri district SP clarified that the suicide occurred in January 2022 and was unrelated to any Waqf Board dispute, attributing it instead to financial difficulties stemming from crop loss and loans.
Subsequently, a suo motu case was registered under s.353(2) of the BNS for publishing or circulating statements intended to promote enmity between groups. On November 14, the High Court granted interim relief to Surya by staying the investigation.
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BJP's main agenda is to keep minorities in fear, alleges Stalin
Chennai (PTI): DMK President M K Stalin has alleged that the BJP's main agenda is to keep the minorities in fear, and everyone is aware of what is happening in the states governed by the saffron party.
Stalin further alleged that Muslims continued to be subjected to attacks.
"Now, a situation has arisen where even Christmas could not be celebrated peacefully. Christians are being targeted. The entire country is a witness to what is happening in Manipur. The BJP's plan of action is that a state of insecurity for minorities should spread like a wildfire across the country," he told PTI in an interview.
That was why it first enacted the CAA, and the next was an amendment to the Waqf law, and now it is "desperate" to amend the FCRA, he alleged, and lashed out at AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami.
"Palaniswami, who supports all these three amendments and has formed an alliance with the BJP, does not have any concern for the welfare of minorities. However, the DMK is always firm in its commitment to ensure that India must always be a secular state; that people belonging to all religions must be equally respected and that the Constitutional safeguards conferred on minorities must be upheld. If any of these is threatened, the DMK will be the first party to raise its voice against it," he said.
Denying that the BJP made the minorities feel insecure, BJP state vice president M Chakravarthy said the chief minister was making the allegation due to the "fear that the Christian and Dalit votes would go to Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam led by actor-politician Vijay."
He was depicting the BJP as a bogeyman in an attempt to create unnecessary apprehension among the minorities, the BJP leader told PTI.
On FCRA, Chakravarthy asked, "What's wrong with ensuring accountability in the use of funds?"
