Two women journalists have been booked after a complaint was filed in Tripura by a supporter of the Hinduvta outfit Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP).
The journalists, Samriddhi Sakunia and Swarna Jha have been booked under sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 153 (provocation with intent to cause riot) and 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) of the Indian Penal Code. The FIR was filed at the Tripura’s Fatikroy police station.
Both the journalists alleged that the police came to their hotel early this morning and they were not allowed to leave the hotel.
Sakunia tweeted on Sunday morning: “I will be putting out a statement soon iterating all the intimidation I had to face while covering the #Tripura story soon. Meanwhile, we are seeking legal remedy. Ps. We aren’t allowed to move outside from our hotel.”
“The police arrived yesterday at the hotel around 10:30 at night and served the FIR copy in the morning 5:30am. We were supposed to leave for the capital Agartala but have been not allowed to move despite full cooperation. There are around 16-17 police deployed outside our hotel,” she said in a series of tweets.
The Union Home Ministry on Saturday, amid huge protests in Maharashtra over the reported clashes in Tripura, said the news circulating on social media about damage and vandalisation of a mosque in Tripura is fake and complete misrepresentation of facts.
There is no report of simple or grievous injury or rape or death of any person in any such incidents in Tripura as alleged in some social media posts, the ministery added.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) strongly said there is no reported case of damage of the structure of any mosque in Tripura in the recent past and that people should maintain calm and should not be misguided by such fake reports.
“There have been news reports that have been circulating that a mosque in Kakraban area of Gomati district in Tripura has been damaged and vandalised. These news reports are fake and are a complete misrepresentation of facts,” it said.
The MHA said that the mosque in Kakraban has not been damaged and the Tripura Police in Gomati district is working to maintain peace and tranquillity.
In Maharashtra, there have been reports of violence and unsavoury statements that are aimed at disturbing peace and harmony based on fake news regarding Tripura, the union home ministry said.
“This is very concerning and it is urged that peace is maintained at all costs,” it said. The home ministry made it clear that there is no reported case of damage of the structure of any mosque in Tripura in the recent past.
“There is no report of simple or grievous injury or rape or death of any person in these incidents as alleged in some social media posts,.”
Following rallies taken out by Muslim organisations on Friday to protest against incidents in Tripura, there have been violence in some parts of Maharashtra.
On Friday, more than 8,000 people in Amravati had gathered outside the district collector’s office to submit a memorandum demanding that atrocities against the minority community in Tripura be stopped.
Violence was reported in Amravati, Nanded, Malegaon, Washim and Yavatmal. So far the cops have arrested 20 people and detained four others by registering 20 FIRs under various charges, including rioting, in connection with Friday’s incidents.
