Arrest of Goa Man Over Alleged False Posts on Congress Manifesto Triggers Political Clash

A 48-year-old man, Vinit Naik, known online as “Bhiku Mhatre,” was arrested in Goa by Karnataka police for allegedly publishing false posts about the Congress election manifesto, sparking a political controversy. The cybercrime police in Bengaluru arrested Naik on Saturday for a tweet from April 22, which claimed the manifesto favored Muslims and disadvantaged Hindus, including SCs and STs. The post has since been deleted.

Naik’s son, Nagesh Naik, expressed outrage on X (formerly Twitter), stating that the arrest was unreasonable. BJP leaders have condemned the arrest, accusing the Congress government of intolerance and pledging legal assistance for Naik. BJP national media chief Amit Malaviya and MP Tejaswi Surya criticized the Karnataka Congress government for misusing power.

Police reported the arrest followed a complaint by Congress worker J Saravanan, leading to charges under IPC section 153(a) and Section 66(c) of the Information Technology Act. Naik had shared a legal notice from X, indicating a court order for his account details. Despite the charges, Naik remains determined to fight the allegations, insisting he did not write anything inflammatory or communally hateful.