Aisha Sultana, a Lakshadweep filmmaker, has been charged with sedition and hate speech for her statements criticising Administrator Praful Khoda Patel’s handling of the Covid issue and suggesting that the Centre had employed a “bio-weapon.” The FIR was lodged in response to a complaint by the BJP’s Union Territory leader.
During a News debate on a regional station, Aisha Sultana blamed Praful Patel’s policies for the island’s Covid cases, claiming that the Centre had employed “bio-weapon” against Lakshadweep. In the past, protestors, notably Lakshadweep Parliamentarian Mohammed Faizal, have accused the Administrator of removing quarantine measures that were required for individuals to enter Lakshadweep.
“Lakshadweep had zero cases of COVID-19. Now it is reporting a daily spike of 100 cases. What the Centre has deployed is a bioweapon. I can say this clearly that the central government has deployed bioweapon,” she had said on a Malayalam TV debate earlier this week.
The comment had BJP workers protesting on the streets; C Abdul Khader Haji, the BJP’s Lakshadweep chief, complained to the police accusing her of “anti-national” comments “tarnishing the patriotic image of the central government”.
Aisha Sultana has been strongly criticizing the Administrator’s controversial decisions, which have spurred protests and anger in the islands.
The filmmaker defended her comments on Facebook. “They have filed a sedition case against me but I want to reiterate that truth will win. Case was filed by a BJP worker from Lakshadweep. I will continue my fight for the land where I was born. We don’t fear anyone. My voice is going to be louder now,” she wrote.
Praful Patel, who was named Lakshadweep Administrator in December, has faced criticism for a series of moves he claims would assist establish Lakshadweep as a significant tourism destination comparable to the Maldives.
