A patently illegal arrest in Bagalkot

The arrest of a 32-year-old schoolteacher, Ningappa Matagar, for questioning the long absence of Karnataka Water Resources Minister Govind Karjol from his constituency, Mudhol, once again highlights the highhandedness of the police when they act to please politicians and their minions.

The arrest, for which there were absolutely no grounds, was on a complaint by an advocate, Shivanand Tavali, who alleged that the teacher had through his social media post shown Karjol in “poor light and posed a threat of incitement to violence”.

This is not just a questionable exercise of power by the Bagalkot district police, who may have acted under political pressure, but it is also an attack on the rights of a citizen. Such display of intolerance to criticism has been in full display by Karnataka politicians of late. Sometime ago, former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had rudely yanked off the mike from the hand of a lady who dared to question him at a party meeting; Housing Minister V Somanna publicly slapped a woman who had gone to him with a complaint; in Kodagu, two local BJP leaders have alleged that local MLA K G Bopaiah threatened them for raising a complaint about poor roads.

Citizens have the right to question their elected representatives, and if exercising this basic right can lead to incarceration or other punishments, then we must conclude that we are living under an autocratic dispensation, not in a democracy.

The Delhi High Court had, while granting bail to fact-checker Mohammed Zubair, held that the voice of dissent is necessary for a healthy democracy and that mere criticism is no ground to invoke sections of the IPC and arrest people.

Addressing the Indian Science Congress a few years ago, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had urged people to sharpen their skills of criticism, saying, “If there is no criticism, democracy will be at a loss. One should not be angered by criticism.” Ironically, soon after, the mother and teacher of a schoolgirl were booked for sedition and thrown behind bars for over a month for a critical remark against the Prime Minister in a school play.

The trumped-up charges against Ningappa Matagar must be withdrawn and the complaint against him dismissed forthwith. Politicians and their minions must stop using the law to curb criticism and dissent. The officers who arrested him must be hauled up. It should be hoped that the Karnataka Human Rights Commission, which has been in slumber for long, takes suo moto cognisance of the Matagar arrest and issues a notice to the Bagalkot SP for allowing this patently illegal arrest.