Outrage in West Bengal over Mamata Cartoons
KOLKATA/NEW DELHI: Professor who posted cartoon of West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee showing her in poor light has been arrested by police on Friday.
The cartoon was made to show dissent of forcing out Dinesh Trivedi and put Mukul Roy in his place as railway minister. The professor was granted bail later on. The arrest has sparked outraged in political circuits.
The government justified its action. Students and professors of Jadavpur University also protested against the decision.
The police charged professor with IPC offences relating to defamation and insulting the modesty of women as well as cyber crime offences.
The arrest was also justified by Labour Minister Purnendu Bose. He said that the objectionable content was not a cartoon, but real pictures, which were nothing but an insult. “Law will take its own course,” he said.
Opposition slams arrest. CPM leader Brinda Karat said, “The arrest is a clear assault on the democratic right of freedom of expression. It is like very much what happened during Emergency”. His colleague Md Salim said the police action is highly ridiculous and highly atrocious.
