Two men arrested for abusive video against Gowda family

Two men have been arrested and remanded to judicial custody in Karnataka for allegedly posting a video abusing former prime minister H D Deve Gowda and his family on social media.

On a complaint from a ruling JD(S) office-bearer, the two, said to be party supporters, were arrested Saturday under IPC sections 504 (Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and 505 (statements conducing to public mischief), police said.

The duo was peeved at the poor performance of JD(S) in the recent Lok Sabha election and blamed "family politics" of the JDS supremo Gowda for it, police said. Identified by police as Siddaraju, a petrol pump attendant, and Chamraju, a cab driver, they were produced before a court which remanded them to judicial custody.

The arrest comes amid the raging debate over liberty of citizens following the arrest of a journalist in Uttar Pradesh for allegedly making objectionable comments against UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on social media.

Incidentally, the Supreme Court Tuesday ordered immediate release of the journalist, Prashant Kanojia, saying fundamental right to liberty is "sacrosanct" and "non-negotiable". The court, however, deprecated the journalist for his posts against Adityanath and said it did not approve of them.