#NoMoreFakeCharges: Uproar About Crackdown on Activists Continues

#NoMoreFakeCharges became a top Twitter trend after the SC’s decision to stay the arrests of the five activists.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday, 29 August, issued a notice to the Maharashtra government, directing that the five activists arrested by Pune police be placed under house arrests in their homes until the next hearing on 6 September.

The activists were arrested on suspicion of having Maoist links and being involved in the violence that broke out during the Bhima Koregaon protests.

Staying the arrests, the three-judge bench headed by CJI Dipak Misra said that “dissent is the safety valve of any democracy.”

After #MeTooUrbanNaxal, #NoMoreFakeCharges Trends on Twitter

Social media outrage on the raids and arrests continued as people used the hashtags #NoMoreFakeCharges and #MeTooUrbanNaxal to voice their opinions, post the SC’s decision.

Urban idiots have coined this term 'urban naxal' to create fake enemies before 2019. #NoMoreFakeCharges.

— Jignesh Mevani (@jigneshmevani80) August 29, 2018

Those who lynch are garlanded, those who make hate speech elevated to high office. But those who fight for the poor, defend human rights, arrested. #BhimaKoregaon

— Saba Naqvi (@_sabanaqvi) August 28, 2018

All five arrests stayed by Supreme Court. The detainees to stay in their houses till 6 September which is next hearing. Arnab Goswami's possible headline for tonight, "These SC Judges are Urban Naxals." #NoMoreFakeCharges

— Umar Khalid (@UmarKhalidJNU) August 29, 2018

'Urban Naxal', 'Half Maoist', 'Love jehad', 'Free Sex', 'Tukde Tukde Gang' - just some of the nonsense phrases used to smear activists, intellectuals and basically anyone defending rights of people under attack from the Modi Govt!

— Kavita Krishnan (@kavita_krishnan) August 28, 2018

हम क़लम चलाकर गुनहगार हो गए
वो दंगा कराकर सरकार हो गए#NoMoreFakeCharges pic.twitter.com/5Yavit21On

— punya prasun bajpai (@ppbajpaii) August 30, 2018

Release the activists, lawyers - jail the lynchers & assassins! #NoMoreFakeCharges pic.twitter.com/tMh41vCYzy

— Anju Yaduvanshi 🐦 (@anjuydv) August 29, 2018

#NoMoreFakeCharges You cannot get your hands on lynching mob but you hunt down human rights defenders...Shame Pune Police...if you have guts get Ekbote. https://t.co/qVe0eKfXp1

— pragnya joshi (@pragnyaj) August 29, 2018

A faker's citadel of democracy revolves around:

Fake Promises
Fake Degree
Fake Marriage
Fake Surgical Dtrike
Fake Endorsement
Fake Patriotism
Fake Photos
Fake News
Fake Vikas
Fake Trials
Fake Sedition Charges
Fake Tea Story
Fake Followers
Fake Encounter #NoMoreFakeCharges

— Pavan Sarkar (@EbullientMind) August 29, 2018

“India Is In a State of Undeclared Emergency”

Many argued that this crackdown on activists is proof that India is in a state of “undeclared emergency”.

In an article in Scroll, writer and activist Arundhati Roy also commented on the raids and arrests, saying that this is “as close to a declaration of an Emergency as we will ever get.” Roy added that anybody who speaks up for justice or against Hindu majoritarianism is being made into a criminal.

#NoMoreFakeCharges Activists, lawyers, Dalits, Muslims, Adivasis behind bars. Sanatan sanstha, hindu Yuva Vahini, hindu samaj party members out, terrorizing people, disturbing law & order. This is undeclared Emergency where laws are being used as political tools. Stop it now!

— Neha Dixit (@nehadixit123) August 29, 2018

Dear Modi ji,
Pehli baar bhi bahuton ko shoshit kiya tha,
par Indira ji ne aapaatkaal ghoshit toh kiya tha

— Akhil Katyal (@akhilkatyal) August 29, 2018

As a reporter who has extensively reported on Maoists, find no difference in how UPA and current regime has dealt with activists working around the movement. Remember Binayak Sen? Arun Ferreira, Vernon G. arrested in 2007. So by all means call it Emergency, but not 2.0 but 3.0.

— Rahul Pandita (@rahulpandita) August 29, 2018

Arrests, crackdowns: expect the pro-government media to smear more lawyers, grassroots workers and activists working in the human rights field. Your Emergency has been here for a while, and now the jails are filling up, pre-2019. https://t.co/AUH9sO4Wx2

— Nilanjana Roy (@nilanjanaroy) August 28, 2018

Media houses put on notice.

Journalists told to tow the line or be sacked.

Defamation suits filed against those who expose govt corruption.

Mass arrests of activists.

The harsh reality- India is in a state of Undeclared Emergency! #BhimaKoregaon #ModiAmbaniRafaleScam

— Shama Mohamed (@drshamamohd) August 28, 2018