FIR lodged against college teacher of Silchar for allegedly defaming PM Modi on social media

Jan. 16: An FIR was lodged against a teacher of a reputed college of Silchar for allegedly maligning Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister of Haryana- Manohar Lal Khattar and Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala in social media. The FIR was lodged at Silchar Sadar Police Station by Snehangshu Chakraborty, President GC College Unit of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) on Saturday. A case in this connection was registered bearing No. 167/2021 u/s 294/501 of IPC and Sec. 67 of Information Technology Act.

In the FIR, it was alleged that one Tamojit Saha, a teacher in the department of Bengali of Ramanuj Gupta Junior College, Silchar posted a photograph in his Facebook profile with a caption in Bengali which when translated reads: “Impact of Farmers’ Movement in Haryana.” The post contained the images of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister of Haryana- Manohar Lal Khattar and Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala with garland of shoes hung around their neck. Snehangshu Chakraborty in his FIR urged upon the police to take appropriate action.

Expressing his views, Rohit Chanda, Agitation in-charge of Silchar Unit of ABVP said, “How can a college teacher post such type of images demeaning the image of the Prime Minister of the country and the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister of a state? This type of activities falls outside the purview of any ‘freedom of speech and expression.’ This is not the 1st time that this college teacher has done such a thing. In the past also, he posted defamatory materials in social media. We want stern exemplary action against him. If a college teacher behaves in this way, then what will his students learn?”

When contacted, by way2barak, college teacher Tamojit Saha said, “I have still now not seen the FIR and so I can’t comment on it at this moment.”