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Journalism of Courage
This is an archive article published on October 8, 2022
Mangaluru activist arrested over ‘derogatory’ social media post on cheetah project
The arrest of Sunil Bajilakeri, a former Sangh Parivar activist, comes in the wake of a police complaint by a woman who claimed the post was an insult to pregnant women and the Indian culture.
Sunil Bajilakeri, a Billava community leader, was associated with the Sangh Parivar before he left it and joined progressive organisations. (Express)
Karnataka Police arrested a social activist Saturday for allegedly posting a derogatory photo on social media, quickly drawing criticism from activists in Mangaluru for the early-morning action.
According to officers, Sunil Bajilakeri was arrested from his residence in Mangaluru’s Bajpe over a recent social media post in which he wrote, “When is the baby shower for the cheetahs from Namibia?” and shared a picture of a pregnant woman with the face of a leopard. The arrest comes in the wake of a police complaint filed by a woman who claimed the post was an insult to pregnant women and Indian culture.
Bajilakeri, a Billava community leader, was associated with the Sangh Parivar before he left it and joined progressive organisations. A staunch critic of the BJP government at the Centre and state, he recently organised a programme called ‘Hindutvadinda Bandhuthvadedege (From Hindutva to human relationships)’ which had irked some BJP leaders in the coastal Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts.
Condemning the arrest, Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) Karnataka president Muneer Katipalla sought Bajilakeri’s release. “When the common public goes to the cyber police with complaints, they are made to sit for hours. An FIR is registered against Sunil without any evidence. Usually, such arrests are done in criminal cases. Which state is this Mr Bommai,” Katipalla asked the Chief Minister.
“The post he had put up was just a reason, but it was more of a threatening message to the common public not to speak against the people in power. We all need to condemn this arrest,” he added.
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