Ahmedabad: Gujarat Congress general secretary Rajesh Soni was arrested on Friday for posting content on social media that was deemed misleading and damaging the morale of India’s armed forces involved in Operation Sindoor, police said.
The operation, launched last month by the Indian military to target terror hubs in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), has been a focal point of national sensitivity, prompting authorities to closely monitor online activities.
According to Superintendent of Police (CID-Cyber Crime) Bharatsinh Tank, an FIR was registered against Soni on Thursday over certain posts on Facebook. Along with the May 22 post on Operation Sindoor, police also cited an older post from April 3 last year in the FIR, which HT has seen.
The posts undermine the morale of defence personnel and endanger India’s sovereignty through misleading information, according to police.
Based on a complaint filed by Ajay Swami, 35, a sub-inspector of the cyber crime cell of the Criminal Investigation Department, CID Crime, Gujarat, Soni was charged under sections 152 (acts endangering sovereignty, unity and integrity of India) and 353(1)(a) (statements conducing to public mischief) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the SP said.
Operation Sindoor, launched on the night of May 6-7, 2025, was a high-precision military offensive targeting nine terror camps in Pakistan and PoK in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians.
{{/usCountry}}Operation Sindoor, launched on the night of May 6-7, 2025, was a high-precision military offensive targeting nine terror camps in Pakistan and PoK in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians.
{{/usCountry}}The operation resulted in the deaths of over 100 terrorists, with India repelling subsequent Pakistani counter-attacks. The government has since been monitoring social media for content deemed anti-national or disruptive, leading to multiple arrests across Gujarat. As many as 17 individuals, including Soni, have so far been detained in Gujarat for objectionable posts related to the operation.
Gujarat Congress president Shaktisinh Gohil said that Soni was detained by police as if they were catching a terrorist. Criticising the action. Gohil said his party colleague only tried to highlight that soldiers need to get their due credit instead of government spending taxpayers money on publicity.