A MDMK worker, Sathiyaraj also known as Balu was arrested on Sunday in Sirkazhi town on the complaint of a local BJP leader, J Swaminathan.
The Tamil Nadu party MDMK’s worker Sathiyaraj alias Balu posted the morphed images on Facebook. The police told sources that the accused caricatured PM Modi as beggar with a begging bowl in his hands.
AFP reported that the accused has been booked with intent to disrupt peace and to create ill-will between classes.
The police told sources that the accused has been sent to judicial custody after being procured in the court on Saturday.
The morphed pictures were posted during the time when the party members were protesting against PM’s visit to Madurai on Republic Day. The MDMK accuses PM of betraying the interests of the state.
Critics are calling the arrests alarming in the world’s largest democracy.
“There has been a worrying crackdown on free speech and dissent in India, whether slogans, social media commentary against ruling leaders, or arrests of journalists and activists who criticise the government.”
Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia director at Human Rights Watch, told AFP
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