Journalist Nikhil Wagle Booked Over His Post On PM Modi, LK Advani (image: twitter.com/waglenikhil)
Pune police filed a First Information Report (FIR) on Friday against senior journalist Nikhil Wagle for his post on X. The FIR was lodged on the basis of senior BJP leader Sunil Deodhar”s complaint concerning journalist alleged defamatory comments against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and veteran BJP leader LK Advani on a social media post.
On February 4, in the X post, Nikhil Wagle criticised PM Narendra Modi and LK Advani over the latter being conferred with the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honour. The post was written in Marathi, and the post meant, the award was “by one rioter to another rioter!”
अडवाणींना भारतरत्न म्हंजे एका दंगलखोराने दुसऱ्या दंगेखोराला दिलेली शाबासकी! 🤪#Modi #Advani
— nikhil wagle (@waglenikhil) February 4, 2024
“Nikhil Wagle has been booked under sections 153A (promoting enmity between different groups), 500 (defamation) and 505 (statements conducing to public mischief) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at the Vishrambaug police station. We are probing the matter further,” Deccan Herald quotes as a senior officer is saying.
In a later tweet, Wagle remarked that the complaint was an attempt to disrupt a ‘Nirbhay Bano’ public meeting in Pune, in which he is one of the speakers. He then added that the meeting will be held on Friday, February 9, even if he is arrested.
माझ्याविरुद्ध भाजप नेते सुनील देवधर यांनी पुणे पोलीसात तक्रार केली आहे. मला अटक झाली तरी निर्भय बनोची शुक्रवार ९ फेब्रूवारीची सभा होणारच. लडेंगे, जितेंगे!
हे माझं ट्विट. pic.twitter.com/bGMERLdi7z— nikhil wagle (@waglenikhil) February 6, 2024
Meanwhile, the BJP Pune unit has requested the police to deny permission for the rally and has also threatened to disrupt the programme, The Wire reports.
