India
Thirty-nine-year-old Kishorechand Wangkhem, a journalist of a local cable network channel had uploaded videos on social media on November 19 in both English and Meitei, using obscene words against the Manipur CM and the BJP-led government at the Centre and in Manipur
Guwahati: A Manipur based journalist, who was detained under the National Security Act (NSA) following his derogatory comments against the Manipur chief minister and both BJP-led governments at the Centre and Manipur, has been sentenced to 12-month detention.
Thirty-nine-year-old Kishorechand Wangkhem, a journalist of a local cable network channel had uploaded videos on social media on November 19 in both English and Meitei, using obscene words against the Manipur CM and the BJP-led government at the Centre and in Manipur.
In an order on December 14, the Governor of Manipur said that Wangkhem should be detained for 12 months – the maximum period allowed by Section 13 of the NSA.
In the video, the journalist is heard saying ‘**** you’ multiple times. He also called Manipur CM 'a puppet of Hindutva'.
The Manipur journalist also said in his videos that he had saddened and shocked to learn that the present Manipur government was observing the birth anniversary of the Rani of Jhansi. According to him, the Rani of Jhansi had nothing to do with Manipur.
The people of the country know very well about Rani of Jhansi and how she fought against the British. Rani of Jhansi is a symbol of resistance to the British Raj for Indian nationalists and also a symbol of the power of women.
But, the Manipur journalist’s comments against the BJP-led governments at the Centre and in Manipur for observing the birth anniversary of Rani of Jhansi, has reflected his thoughts that Manipur and India are separate.
The journalist was detained under the NSA on November 26, and the district magistrate of Imphal West had ordered the detention of the journalist on November 27 for allegedly uploading videos on social media criticising the authorities.
According to the reports, the advisory board of the NSA, in its sitting held on December 11, had examined the allegations levelled against the journalist, and on December 13, the board recommended that there were ‘sufficient grounds’ to detain the journalist under the provisions of the NSA.
On the other hand, the journalist on Wednesday had moved the Manipur high court against his arrest and his lawyer had filed a habeas corpus petition (a writ requiring a person under arrest to be brought before a judge or into court, especially to secure the person's release unless lawful grounds are shown for their detention).
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