NEW DELHI: Nineteen-year-old Amulya Leona Noronha was whisked away from the dais on Thursday for shouting "Pakistan zindabad" at the anti-CAA rally organised by the Hindu-Muslim-Sikh-Issai Federation at the Freedom Park in the city.
AIMIM president Asauddin Owaisi was also present at the event and prevented her from raising the pro-Pakistan slogan. Later, the police stepped in and removed her from the dais.
The girl was arrested and booked her under sections 124A, 153A and 153B of the IPC in a sedition case filed suo-motu for raising pro-Pakistan slogans.
Following her arrest, she was sent to 14-day judicial custody after police produced her before a local magistrate.
Before the event, she posted on her Facebook wall about the event — "I am going to address the gathering."
In response to the post, she got some hate replies, while a few friends asked her to be careful. Sources close to Amulya told TOI she had been warned by her near and dear ones, including parents, to be wary while delivering speeches. They said her intentions may be honourable, but there were chances of people misunderstanding her and responding in a hostile manner. “Politicians will not spare you,” a close aide warned her.
Activism is not new to Amulya, who is from Shivapura of Koppa in Chikkamagaluru district. Her father, Waji Noronha, was part of the Appiko agitation to save trees in the Western Ghats in the early 1980s.
Her friends say the father-daughter duo participated in several other protests. Amulya’s social media posts shows her as a girl vocal on several contemporary issues.
She describes herself as ‘Kannada Kajana’ (Black Drongo bird of the forest). The girl had also condemned the recent arrest of Koppal poet Siraj Bisaralli for his work criticising PM Narendra Modi and the National Registry of Citizens.
According to Amulya’s FB profile, she is a BA (English) student at NMKRV College for Women. After her initial schooling in Koppa, she went to Mysuru to do her PU at Sadvidya Composite PU College.
Currently, she is a second-year student in a degree college pursuing a BA in literature, sociology, psychology and journalism. She also worked as a translator/ interpreter at Bangalore Recording Company.
Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa alleged that that the girl was also in contact with the naxals.
Meanwhile, Amulya's father Leona Noronha has filed a complaint in a local police station at Koppa against some unidentified BJP activists for allegedly attacking his house in Koppa for Amulya's pro-Pakistan slogans.
"The activists vandalised our house by smashing window glass panes, flower pots and damaging other household things," Noronha said in the complaint.
Amulya's father also condemned his daughter's act. Speaking to the media, he said: "said: "What she said is wrong. She was joined by some Muslims and wasn't listening to me!"
Owaisi, who addressed the gathering later, said he did not agree with the woman, whom he described as "so-called liberal" and asked all liberals to refrain from any events involving Muslims.
"Neither I nor my party has any link with her. We denounce her. The organisers should not have invited her here. If I knew this, I would not have come here. We are for India and we no way support our enemy nation Pakistan. Our entire drive is to save India," the AIMIM MP said.
JD(S) corporator Imran Pasha claimed Amulya was planted by some rival group to disrupt the event.
The woman, he said, was not in the list of speakers and demanded that the police investigate the matter seriously.
AIMIM president Asauddin Owaisi was also present at the event and prevented her from raising the pro-Pakistan slogan. Later, the police stepped in and removed her from the dais.
The girl was arrested and booked her under sections 124A, 153A and 153B of the IPC in a sedition case filed suo-motu for raising pro-Pakistan slogans.
Following her arrest, she was sent to 14-day judicial custody after police produced her before a local magistrate.
Before the event, she posted on her Facebook wall about the event — "I am going to address the gathering."
In response to the post, she got some hate replies, while a few friends asked her to be careful. Sources close to Amulya told TOI she had been warned by her near and dear ones, including parents, to be wary while delivering speeches. They said her intentions may be honourable, but there were chances of people misunderstanding her and responding in a hostile manner. “Politicians will not spare you,” a close aide warned her.
Activism is not new to Amulya, who is from Shivapura of Koppa in Chikkamagaluru district. Her father, Waji Noronha, was part of the Appiko agitation to save trees in the Western Ghats in the early 1980s.
Her friends say the father-daughter duo participated in several other protests. Amulya’s social media posts shows her as a girl vocal on several contemporary issues.
She describes herself as ‘Kannada Kajana’ (Black Drongo bird of the forest). The girl had also condemned the recent arrest of Koppal poet Siraj Bisaralli for his work criticising PM Narendra Modi and the National Registry of Citizens.
According to Amulya’s FB profile, she is a BA (English) student at NMKRV College for Women. After her initial schooling in Koppa, she went to Mysuru to do her PU at Sadvidya Composite PU College.
Currently, she is a second-year student in a degree college pursuing a BA in literature, sociology, psychology and journalism. She also worked as a translator/ interpreter at Bangalore Recording Company.
Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa alleged that that the girl was also in contact with the naxals.
Meanwhile, Amulya's father Leona Noronha has filed a complaint in a local police station at Koppa against some unidentified BJP activists for allegedly attacking his house in Koppa for Amulya's pro-Pakistan slogans.
"The activists vandalised our house by smashing window glass panes, flower pots and damaging other household things," Noronha said in the complaint.
Amulya's father also condemned his daughter's act. Speaking to the media, he said: "said: "What she said is wrong. She was joined by some Muslims and wasn't listening to me!"
Owaisi, who addressed the gathering later, said he did not agree with the woman, whom he described as "so-called liberal" and asked all liberals to refrain from any events involving Muslims.
"Neither I nor my party has any link with her. We denounce her. The organisers should not have invited her here. If I knew this, I would not have come here. We are for India and we no way support our enemy nation Pakistan. Our entire drive is to save India," the AIMIM MP said.
JD(S) corporator Imran Pasha claimed Amulya was planted by some rival group to disrupt the event.
The woman, he said, was not in the list of speakers and demanded that the police investigate the matter seriously.
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