Assam man arrested over ‘communally provocative’ posts targeting Bajrang Dal, RSS

A 29-year-old man was arrested in Assam’s Cachar district on September 28 over alleged “communally provocative” social media posts, police said.

The accused, Kalparnab Gupta, identifies himself on Facebook as a research scholar at IIT-Bombay and chief convenor of the Barak Union for Civil Liberties.

Gupta was arrested after a Bajrang Dal activist lodged a complaint at Silchar police station, alleging that he had shared “defamatory, hateful and communally provocative content” targeting the Bajrang Dal, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Hindu religion.

The complaint alleged that Gupta had attempted to link Bajrang Dal members to extortion rackets as well as a recent gang-rape case in Cachar district.

He was also accused of making “insulting remarks” about Lord Ram and other Hindu deities and mocking religious symbols and practices, including ‘sakha-sindoor’.

According to the complaint, Gupta had also advocated beef consumption in a manner that was allegedly intended to hurt religious sentiments and promote communal disharmony.

Police said Gupta has been booked under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including sections relating to promoting enmity, public mischief and defamation. Relevant provisions of the Assam Cattle Preservation Act have also been invoked.

An investigation is underway, with police compiling digital evidence and questioning the accused, officials said.