UP CM is behaving foolishly: Rahul demands release of "arrested journalists"

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said it was foolish of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to have gotten journalist Prashant Kanojia arrested for allegedly defaming the state chief.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court ordered immediate release of Kanojia.

"If every journalist who files a false report or peddles fake, vicious RSS/BJP sponsored propaganda about me is put in jail, most newspapers/ news channels would face a severe staff shortage. The UP CM is behaving foolishly and needs to release the arrested journalists," Gandhi tweeted.

Kanojia was arrested on Saturday for making certain "objectionable comments" against Adityanath on social media and for "spreading rumours". He was taken into custody from Delhi after a case was registered at Hazratganj police station in Lucknow.

"The arrest was made on the basis of evidence and after interrogation, he confessed to his crime," a press note issued by the police said.

Kanojia was booked under sections 500 (defamation), 505 (statements conducing to public mischief) of the Indian Penal Code and section 67 (publishing or transmitting obscene material in electronic form) of the Information Technology Act.

On Sunday, the Editors Guild of India had condemned the arrest of Kanojia, Eshika Singh, head of Noida-based new channel Nation Live and Anuj Shukla, an editor of the channel, in connection with the case.

( With inputs from ANI )