Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (EP)
Mangaluru, Apr 3: BJP MLC Capt Ganesh Karnik has come to the strong defence of Postcard News founder Mahesh Vikram Hegde who was recently arrested for publishing a fake news on his website.
Postcard News had published a fake news claiming that a Jain sage was 'attacked' by Muslim youth, when the reality was that he met with an accident. A case was filed in this matter, and Hegde was arrested by the police in Bengaluru on March 29.
In press release, Capt Karnik criticized chief minister Siddaramaiah alleging 'misuse' of powers.
Capt Ganesh Karnik
"The CM who is afraid of defeat in the elections and the irresponsible home minister Ramalinga Reddy have used the police department to arrest Moodbidri-based social activist Mahesh Vikram Hegde for petty reasons. The activist used to alert the society through his sharp writings.
"It is an indication that the government is acting with conceit and high-handedness. A person had posted an unpleasant message in the social network. Though the post was removed after sometime, the government acted on it and arrested Mahesh Vikram Hegde, thereby misusing law and making it difficult for him to obtain bail in the last five days.
"It is condemnable that the government is misusing the police even after election code of conduct came into effect and the police department and its senior officers are acting like the puppets of Congress party. The police department which should have maintained law and order without favoritism is misusing its power. They have become victims of official pressure and lack shame," he said.
"The misdeeds of Congress to curtail freedom will prove disastrous for the party in the days to come. People do not forgive such behaviour. Therefore I urge the government on behalf of the citizens to release Mahesh Vikram Hegde who was arrested without reason," he urged.
Mahesh Vikram Hegde
Not just Karnik, but other top BJP leaders too have come to the defence of Mahesh Hegde and demanded his release. Notwithstanding the fact that he was arrested for allegedly circulating fake news with an intention to incite communal tension in poll-bound Karnataka, the BJP leaders have criticised the state government for curtailing 'freedom of speech' and branded the government as 'anti-Hindu'. Hashtags like #ReleaseMaheshHegde started trending among BJP supporters.
Taking to Twitter, union minister Anant Kumar Hegde said, "Shame on the state government led by Siddaramaiah, which is behaving in dictatorial terms in arresting Mahesh Vikram Hegde. Ensure to follow the true democratic spirit in fighting us rather than doing a coward act. #ReleaseMaheshHegde (sic)."
MLA C T Ravi tweeted, "Wondering if Nationalist @mvmeet is arrested because he ran a successful campaign to raise funds for the children of two Hindu schools run by @RSSorg Leader Sri @KalladkaBhat that were denied funds by Anti-Hindu CONgress Government (sic)."
Mysuru MP Pratap Simha was one of the first to break the news of the arrest on Twitter. "Today morning, the coward Congress government in Karnataka arrested Mahesh Vikram Hegde under the unconnected section 66 of the IT Act, that too by using CCB! Shame on you (sic)," he tweeted. However, he got the facts wrong, as Hegde was arrested under the IPC sections not under the IT Act.