The Gujarat Police on Friday arrested the president of a business organisation in Rajkot district over a Facebook post criticising Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
Police said that the FIR was registered with Upleta Police Station in Rajkot district after a local RSS worker lodged a complaint a few days back.
Police said that the accused Vinod Gheravda, who is the president of the Upleta Chamber of Commerce and Industries, was arrested on Friday itself and will be produced before the court on Saturday.
Upleta in-charge police inspector K K Jadeja told DH that "we are yet to decide whether we would request his remand for further investigation or not."
In the FIR, the complainant RSS President of Upleta taluka, Kaushal Parmar, has claimed that the accused wrote a post on Facebook in Hindi stating, "Jo nidar the wo jung me gaye, jo kayar the woh sangh me gaye" (Fearless went to war, cowards went to Sangh).
The accused also uploaded materials which, the FIR alleges, can be termed "vulgar", damaging the reputation of RSS founder Dr Keshav Hedgewar and hurting the sentiments of lakhs of people who regularly worship Hedgewar and the saffron flag, the symbol of Hindu religion."
Police said that the accused Gheravda runs a tailoring shop in Upleta named "Captain" and also heads Upleta Chamber of Commerce and Industries.
He has been booked under Section 295 A (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs), 505 (public mischief) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 67 of the Information and Technology Act, which has provision for punishment for publishing or transmitting obscene material in electronic form.
Published 19 August 2023, 10:29 IST