UP journalist among 2 arrested for making offensive remarks on Mahakumbh, Hindu gods

Two men were held on Tuesday evening after their remarks on social media about the Mahakumbh sparked anger among some members of the Hindu community

Two men, including a journalist, were arrested on Tuesday evening for allegedly making offensive comments on social media about the Mahakumbh and Hindu deities, police officials told news agency PTI.

Two men, including a journalist, have been arrested for allegedly making objectionable comments on the Maha Kumbh(Anand Prashad)

The remarks led to outrage among some members of the Hindu community, prompting authorities to issue an alert for increased social media monitoring.

Kamran Alvi, a self-described journalist with more than 9,000 followers on Facebook, was arrested after he posted a video online related to the Mahakumbh that offended members of the Hindu community, according to SHO Alok Mani Tripathi.

"The accused was promptly arrested, and a case was registered under section 299 (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) of the BNS Act for insulting religious symbols. He will be presented in the court," Tripathi said.

The police are also looking into other people who were involved in circulating the video.

In a separate case, SHO Amit Pratap Singh said, “Abhishek Kumar, a resident of Boja village near Jaidpur, made objectionable remarks on social media about Hindu deities and the Maha Kumbh. A case has been registered and the accused arrested.”

Bareilly ‘hate message’ case

A 30-year-old man from Bareilly was arrested earlier in January for posting allegedly hateful messages on social media, including threats to rape Hindu women, blast the Ram temple in Ayodhya, and disrupt the Mahakumbh.

The man was apprehended after the police received a tip-off from Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader KK Shankdhar. He was located and arrested within 12 hours and charged with sections under the BNS for promoting hatred and offending religious sentiments.

In a video recorded while he was in police custody, the man was seen apologising for his actions, promising not to make such offensive comments again.

The Mahakumbh, which is organised once every 12 years, began on January 13 in Prayagraj and will continue till February 26.