‘Hindus denied water’ tweet: Kerala police files case against BJP MP Shobha Karandlaje

Team Udayavani, Jan 24, 2020, 2:51 PM IST

Udupi/Malappuram: A case has been registered against BJP MP from Udupi-Chickmagalur Shobha Karandlaje for misleading people and spreading incorrect information.

Karandlaje in a tweet said that Hindus of Kuttipuram Panchayat of Malappuram allegedly being denied water as they supported the citizenship amendment act.

“Kerala is taking baby steps to become another Kashmir! Hindus of Kuttipuram Panchayat of Malappuram was denied water supply as they supported #CAA2019.

#SevaBharati has been supplying water ever since. Will Lutyens telecast this intolerance of PEACEFUL from God’s Own Country!?,” read the tweet.

Kerala is taking baby steps to become another Kashmir!

Hindus of Kuttipuram Panchayat of Malappuram was denied water supply as they supported #CAA2019.#SevaBharati has been supplying water ever since.

Will Lutyens telecast this intolerance of PEACEFULS frm God’s Own Country!? pic.twitter.com/y0HKI4bitD

— Shobha Karandlaje (@ShobhaBJP) January 22, 2020

Acting on a complaint filed by Advocate Subhash Chandran, citing that the tweet will destroy the communal harmony in the region, the police booked Karandlaje under Indian Penal Code (IPC) section 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, etc.), IPC 120, Section 34 IPC.

A case has also filed against activists of Seva Bharati, an NGO linked to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

Pointing out that the issue of water shortage was existing even before the Citizenship Amendment Bill was passed, Malappuram district police chief Abdul Kareem on Thursday said that the BJP MP was misleading people and spreading incorrect information through the tweet.

“The panchayat has not been able to provide water since almost a year due to borewell issues. A private borewell was used to supply water, but they stopped the supply because they got a warning from Kerala State Electricity Board saying the motor usage is for electricity purpose and if used for other purpose, will be disconnected,” stated another police officer.

Reacting to the case against her, Karandlaje said that she tweeted in accordance with the information provided by the sources on the issue fo water crisis.

“I have tweeted according to the information by a source, Our Seva Bharati team had supplied water to the people of the particular place. Why cannot the government do it? Let them book the case,” she told ANI.

“Instead of acting against the discrimination happened to the Dalit families of Cherukunnu, they lodged a case against me (sic),” the BJP leader tweeted.