Man sneaks into Karnataka assembly posing as MLA, arrested
Bengaluru, July 7: A 72-year-old man posing as an MLA sneaked into the Karnataka assembly here on Friday and was arrested only after spending 15 minutes wandering in the House amidst the legislators.
The man identified as Thipperudra entered the assembly impersonating Sagar MLA Belur Gopalakrishna, police sources said.
He walked around for a while and sat on Devadurga MLA Karemma's seat for about 15 minutes, they added.
When Gurmitkal JD(S) MLA Sharanagouda Kandakur grew suspicious about him, he called the marshals of the House.
"On the day Siddaramaiah presented his historic budget, this historic incident too occurred where for the first time in the Karnataka assembly's history a man sneaked into the Karnataka assembly," Kandakur quipped.
The Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central Division) R Srinivas Gowda said the intruder gained entry into the assembly by identifying himself as an MLA.
"The marshals held him after confirming that he was an impersonator. He was handed over to the Vidhana Soudha police. We are interrogating him to find out the motive," Gowda told reporters.
A police officer said it was difficult for the marshals deployed at the assembly to identify the legislators as there are many new faces.
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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.
