Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair’s arrest “is an assault on truth”, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said, leading the condemnation against the journalist’s arrest. The Delhi Police arrested Zubair for hurting religious sentiments and inciting riots based on a complaint by a man who tagged the Delhi Police on Twitter.
“India’s few fact-checking services, especially Alt News, perform a vital service in our post-truth political environment, rife with disinformation. They debunk falsehoods, whoever perpetrates them. To arrest Mohammed Zubair is an assault on truth. He should be released immediately,” Tharoor tweeted minutes after the police action against the journalist.
India’s few fact-checking services, especially @AltNewsperform a vital service in our post-truth political environment, rife with disinformation. They debunk falsehoods whoever perpetrates them. To arrest @zoo_bear is an assault on truth. He should be released immediately.
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) June 27, 2022
“Every person exposing BJP’s hate, bigotry and lies is a threat to them. Arresting one voice of truth will only give rise to a thousand more. Truth ALWAYS triumphs over tyranny. #DaroMat,” Rahul Gandhi tweeted.
“Shocked to hear that Mohammed Zubair has been taken into custody by the Delhi Police. Checking fact from fiction was probably his biggest crime?” Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi tweeted.
Shocked to hear that @zoo_bear has been taken into custody by the Delhi Police. Checking fact from fiction was probably his biggest crime?
— Priyanka Chaturvedi (@priyankac19) June 27, 2022
Trinamool Congress MP Derek O’Brien lashed out at PM Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah over Zubair’s arrest: “Strongly condemn the arrest of one of the world’s finest journalists, Mohammed Zubair, who exposes the BJP’s #FakeNews factory every single day. PM Modi and Amit Shah, for all the power you wield, you are essentially COWARDS.”
Strongly condemn the arrest of one of the world’s finest journalists @zoo_bear who exposes the BJP’s #FakeNews factory every single day.
PM @narendramodi and @AmitShah for the all power you wield, you are essentially COWARDS.
– Derek O’Brien ‘(@derekobrienmp) June 27, 2022
Mohammed Zubair has been charged under the Indian Penal Code for “wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot” and for “deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs”.
The Intelligence Fusion & Strategic Operations (IFSO) unit of the Delhi Police arrested the journalist, who was summoned today for questioning in a 2020 case.
“Today, during the course of investigation of a case registered at Special Cell police station, Mohammed Zubair joined the probe. After having sufficient evidence on record, he was arrested in the present case. He is being produced before a magistrate for seeking further police remand for the purpose of investigation,” the police said.
The Delhi Police is also looking into the alleged role of Twitter profiles indulging in ‘Twitter storms’ stated by Zubair. The police said that some of these tweets were recently deleted, and that they are working on finding the trail.