Summary: Outrage is growing over the arrest of Prashant Kanojia, a Delhi-based freelance Journalist. He has now spent two days in a Lucknow jail for a tweet that he posted along with a video of a woman claiming that she had been video chatting with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The Uttar Pradesh Police also arrested two others from a Noida-based channel Nation Live. The owner Ishika Singh and Editor Anuj Shukla were arrested for broadcasting the video which Mr Kanojia then tweeted with a comment of his own. The arrests appear to be a clear misuse of the law. The Uttar Pradesh Police FIR books Mr Kanojia for defamation which requires that a magistrate takes note of the case before arrest. No permission was taken before Mr Kanojia's arrest. He was also charged under section 66 of the IT act which relates to destroying computer property . This charge is particularly mystifying as putting out a tweet cannot amount to destruction of computer property. The journalist was also charged under section 505, spreading rumours with intent to promote communal enmity. Tonight on Left, Right and Centre, we discuss the question does criticizing a Chief Minister equate with promoting communal enmity?
