Porbandar man booked for social media post against PM

Rajkot: A complaint has been lodged at the Porbandar Cyber Crime police station against one Natha Odedra for allegedly posting a video on Facebook containing objectionable remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and language hurting religious sentiments.

The complaint was filed by 57-year-old Praveen Khorava, general secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Porbandar district unit.

According to the complaint, Khorava received the controversial video via WhatsApp on Sunday from Gigan Bokhiria, head of the BJP’s Bakshipanch Morcha for Porbandar district.

Police said the video, originally uploaded on Odedra’s Facebook account, allegedly contained insulting remarks against the Prime Minister and comments deemed offensive to religious sentiments ahead of Modi’s scheduled visit to the Somnath temple.

The Facebook post also carried a caption cautioning people against attending a free bus trip to Somnath Mahadev organized on Monday by the Porbandar district BJP president. According to the complaint, the accused allegedly used objectionable language against the Prime Minister while asking people to avoid the event and instead visit the temple the following day.

Police registered the complaint and launched an investigation. Odedra has been booked under Sections 298 (injuring or defiling place of worship), 336(4) (forgery) and 356(1) (defamation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 66(E) of the IT Act.