Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 27: Bahu Fort Police today arrested a social activist Waqar Hussain Bhatti for allegedly hurting religious sentiments with his ‘shivling’ tweet which caused social media outrage.
Following his tweet, which was later deleted, netizens demanded his immediate arrest.
“FIR Number 140/2022 under relevant Sections was registered against Bhatti at Police Station Bahu Fort following his tweet, which hurt religious sentiments,” a senior police officer said, adding that Bhatti was later arrested by a team from Police Station Bahu Fort led by PSI Balbir Singh under the supervision of SHO Inspector Nayat Ali, SDPO East Syed Zaheer Abbas Jafari, SP South Mamta Sharma and SSP Jammu Chandan Kohli from Tangmarg area of District Baramulla.
Facing a backlash on social media, Waqar Hussain Bhatti, a resident of Thanna Mandi District Rajouri had sought to clarify his tweet with another tweet saying, “I did not target any religion and why should I target when the matter is in court.”
He was produced in the court, which sent him to police custody till June 3, 2022.
It is pertinent to mention here that Bhatti was a habitual offender and two cases of hurting religious sentiments also stands against him at Police Stations Bahu Fort and Sunderbani.
A few days ago, Delhi University Associate Professor Ratan Lal was arrested for his alleged objectionable social media post on claims of a ‘Shivling’ at the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi. He was granted bail a day later.
On May 16, a local court in Varanasi directed the district administration to seal a spot in the Gyanvapi Masjid complex after counsels representing the Hindu petitioners claimed that a Shivling was found during a court-mandated videography survey.
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