Ahmedabad: The Gujarat High Court firmly with a strong-worded remark rejected the bail plea of Jamnagar-based Congress leader Afzal Kasam Lakhani, who is accused of posting defamatory content about PM Modi and his late mother Hiraba on social media.

Justice Nirzar S. Desai rejected the bail plea while emphasizing that residents of India must remain loyal to the country.

The accused, associated with the Congress party, created a Facebook page titled “Gujarat Trast, BJP Mast,” where he posted objectionable and obscene content about PM Modi and his late mother. A complaint was filed against him on December 31, 2022, and he was apprehended on January 1st this year.

The public prosecutor, Manan Mehta, revealed that the accused operated the Facebook page under the Hindu name Jigar Thakkar and used it to spread communal animosity through 35 other Facebook pages. He also received numerous phone calls from Pakistan and had over 700 followers from Pakistan.

Taking note of the accused’s overall behavior, the court found it apparent that Afzal’s intention was to disturb communal harmony. The court also noted that the post made by the accused seemed to have a specific agenda, and despite the maximum punishment for such a crime being 5 years, there is no justification for leniency in this case. DeshGujarat

“Considering the applicant’s overall conduct, it is evident that he seeks to disturb communal harmony,” the court said. Under the alias Jigar Thakkar, he not only posted pornographic and anti-Indian content, but he also insulted the Prime Minister and his late mother. It is obvious that the accused seeks to disrupt communal cohesion given that he routinely shares such upsetting material on social media, which is widely used. The applicant continuously uploaded similar stuff rather than stopping at one post.

The court stated that because to the harsh nature of the language used in the posts, it was not conceivable to reproduce its insulting and disparaging nature.

The court added it finds that the present applicant, an Indian citizen, made intentional efforts to undermine peace and harmony in society. The post made by the applicant seemed to have a specific agenda, and despite the maximum punishment for such a crime being 5 years, there is no justification for leniency in this case.

ગુજરાત યુવક કોંગ્રેસ સોશ્યિલ મીડિયાના સ્ટેટ કન્વીનર તરીકે નિયુક્તિ પામેલા અફઝલ લાખાણી ને અભિનંદન ..💐 pic.twitter.com/fir8a9WWSh

— Gujarat Youth Congress (@IYCGujarat) September 21, 2022

Afzal was the social media convener of Youth Congress’s Gujarat State unit. DeshGujarat

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