BENGALURU: Environmental activist Disha Ravi’s arrest in connection with Greta Thunberg’s toolkit has triggered a war of words between Karnataka's principal opposition and the ruling BJP.
Former chief minister and leader of opposition Siddaramaiah lambasted the BJP government as he termed the arrest politically motivated by Delhi Police.
His tweet said: “The arrest of Disha Ravi, a climate activist, has exposed the crack in the Indian democracy under @narendramodi. How can the act of sporting farmers be charged under sedition? Strongly condemn this politically motivated act by Delhi Police.”
Siddramaiah’s Congress colleagues joined him in slamming the Centre and they urged the government to release Disha immediately.
Former IT-BT minister Priyank Kharge said the Centre is targeting youngsters as part of its persecution. “This country is becoming a nike. Why is the establishment targeting kids?” he said in his Twitter post.
Former agriculture minister Krishna Byre Gowda has raised concern that the Centre’s retribution is aiming to instill fear in people who raise voice.
“Disha Ravi is an Indian patriot. Supporting farmers or environmental activism are civic virtues. Purpose of her arrest is just to instill fear in people not to raise voice,” Gowda said.
In his retaliation, Pralhad Joshi, Union minister for law and parliamentary affairs, accused the Congress leaders of joining hands with those conspiring against India.
Joshis’s tweet said: “Only that this arrest has exposed is @INCIndia’s poor planning to keep this anti-India conspiracy a secret. If you had thought about farmers half as much as you claim their condition in the State would have been different. Wake up @siddaramaiah ji, the nation already has.”