In a move that has sparked condemnation from the BJP, Vinit Naik, known by his social media moniker 'Bhiku Mhatre', was arrested by the Karnataka police on Saturday night. His son, Nagesh Naik, confirmed the arrest and has called upon BJP leaders for support. "My father @MumbaichaDon has been arrested by @DgpKarnataka @CPBlr @BlrCityPolice. A mail was sent by TWITTER and suddenly in the evening the police showed up at the doorstep and took away my father! FIR is totally NOT pertinent! #ReleaseBhikuMhatre," Nagesh Naik posted on 'X', formerly Twitter.
The arrest stems from an FIR filed by J Saravanan, a Congress worker from Bengaluru, who alleged that 'Bhiku Mhatre' had posted content on 'X' targeting Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah that could incite enmity between Hindus and Muslims, thus disturbing societal peace, news agency PTI reported. According to The News Minute, the complaint, dated April 29, accused Naik of sharing an edited clip of CM Siddaramaiah’s statement on reservation for minorities, accompanied by inflammatory comments.
The contentious tweet, made on April 22 and now deleted, stated: "Throw this in the face of Every Liberal & Every Piddi who was arguing that CONgress Manifesto doesn’t mention ‘Mu$£ims’ specifically & it includes SC/STs Also. CONgress WANTS TO TAKE AWAY WEALTH FROM HINDUS & DISTRIBUTE TO MU$£IMS ‘ONLY’ AS IT HATES HINDUS INCL. SC/STs."
The Karnataka police have charged Naik under section 153(a) of the Indian Penal Code and section 66(c) of the Information Technology Act. The arrest took place in Ponda, South Goa, following an email from X's legal team indicating a court order from the Magistrate of Bengaluru City regarding Naik’s account, TNM reported.
BJP Condemns 'Bhiku Mhatre' Arrest, Tejasvi Surya Calls It 'Blatant Abuse Of Power', Smriti Irani Assures Legal Aid
The arrest has ignited a political uproar, with several BJP leaders condemning the Karnataka Congress government’s actions. BJP leader Tejasvi Surya took to 'X', saying, "This is blatant abuse of power by Karnataka Congress Govt. We will fight this, both inside courts and outside."
Amit Malviya, head of the BJP’s IT cell, commented, "Karnataka Police has arrested @MumbaichaDon from Goa. We are in touch with his family and will ensure he gets all legal support. Congress has unleashed anarchy and is intolerant of dissent. But there won’t be another #Emergency in this country, ever."
Union Minister Smriti Irani also weighed in, stating, "Spoke to @Tejasvi_Surya re the case. Legal support has been assured."
The monicker 'Bhiku Mhatre' is inspired by a character from the 1998 crime thriller "Satya" portrayed by Manoj Bajpayee.