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5 students booked in MP for social media post on Union minister Narendra Singh Tomar
Though the FIR was registered against the students on Sunday last but the incident came to the fore on Friday when a group of students and some social activists launched a campaign against the police station in Morena in the Gwalior-Chambal region to quash the FIR. No arrests have been made so far in the case.
Five students including three minors were booked in Madhya Pradesh after a complaint by a Bharatiya Janata Party worker against them for a comment on social media about Union rural development minister Narendra Singh Tomar, police said. The complainant said that the comments “insulted a reputed person and could create law and order issues.”
Though the FIR was registered against the students on Sunday last but the incident came to the fore on Friday when a group of students and some social activists launched a campaign against the police station in Morena in the Gwalior-Chambal region to quash the FIR. No arrests have been made so far in the case.
The students’ post reportedly questioned the way that the Union minister wore a face mask during a meeting held through video conferencing. “They posted a screen image of Tomar on Facebook and wrote, “This is the way a mask is worn. One should learn from the minister. Pls make him understand this is mask not knickers’, said an officer of the police station.
Yash Sharma, a BJP worker and the complainant, said, “In this pandemic situation, these comments hurt the sentiments of people. A comparison of mask with knickers is insulting for such a reputed personality, his followers and other people.”
Morena, superintendent of police, Asit Yadav said, “We received a complaint at Porsa police station in Morena on May 3. The FIR was registered against five persons under section 505 (2) (circulating a statement which create or promote enmity, hatred or ill-will between classes), section 188 (disobedience to order promulgated by public servant) and under section 51 of disaster management act, which is in force due to Covid-19.”
However, one of the students named in the FIR defended the post, saying they “just wanted to send out a message” about the correct way of wearing a face mask.
“During the video conferencing held on April 24, Union minister Narendra Singh Tomar had not covered his nose properly with the mask. We just wanted to send out a message to people that this was not the correct way of wearing a face mask,” Ajay Pratap Singh said.
Another student Aditya Singh Tomar who runs a local social group in Morena said that the post should not offend anyone as those involved didn’t make the comments intentionally to hurt anyone.
“The post should not offend anyone. It is a humorous post by three school students and two college students (Ajay Pratap Singh and Aman Singh) who are also a part of our group. They did nothing wrong or objectionable and didn’t make comments intentionally to hurt anyone. The police action violates the right to freedom of speech. We will continue our campaign till the FIR is quashed.”
