– Mohammed Atherulla Shariff
Bengaluru, May 20: A 53-year-old Mumbaikar, Vinit Naik, who lives in Goa, was arrested by Bengaluru cybercrime police on Saturday for a post on X targeting Muslims and the Congress party’s manifesto.
Based on a complaint by J. Saravana, a Congress member, the cybercrime police tracked down Vinit Naik, who claimed to be a professor, and arrested him from his residence in Ponda, Goa.
Naik, who operates his social media account on X under the name ‘BhikuMhatre (Modi’s Family)@MumbaichaDon’ and has posted photographs with top leaders of the BJP, has been charged under sections of the IT Act and under Section 153 A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race) for further investigation.
Naik on April 22 had tweeted about the Congress manifesto: “Throw this in face of Every Liberal & Every Piddi who was arguing that CONgress Menifesto doesn’t mention “Mu$£ims” specifically & it includes SC/STs Also. CONgress WANTS TO TAKE AWAY WEALTH FROM HINDUS & DISTRIBUTING TO MU$£IMS “ONLY” AS IT HATES HINDUS INCL. SC/STs.” However, now the tweet has been deleted.
After bringing him to Bengaluru, they announced his arrest and produced him before a judge at National Games Village, Kormanagala, who remanded him in police custody for two days.
Soon after the news broke, the BJP attacked Karnataka state government over the arrest. BJP National IT cell head Amit Malviya on X said, “Karnataka Police has arrested @MumbaichaDon from Goa. We are in touch with his family and will ensure he gets all legal support. Congress has unleashed anarchy and is intolerant of dissent. But there won’t be another #Emergency in this country, ever.”
BJP MP Tejasvi Surya said, “This is blatant abuse of power by Karnataka Congress Govt. We will fight this, both inside courts and outside.”
