Manipur journalist held under NSA, to remain in detention for 12 months
Guwahati, Dec 20 (IBNS): A Manipur based journalist, who was detained under the National Security Act (NSA) following his derogatory comments against the Manipur Chief Minister and the both BJP-led governments at Centre and Manipur, has been sentenced to a 12-month jail term.
39-year-old Kishorechand Wangkhem, a journalist of a local cable network channel had uploaded videos on social media on Nov 19 in both English and Meitei languages and using some obscene word against the Manipur CM and the BJP-led government at the Centre and in Manipur.
In an order on Dec 14, the Governor of Manipur said that, Kishorechandra Wangkhem should be detained for 12 months – the maximum period allowed by Section 13 of the NSA.
In the video, the journalist said ‘F*** you’ multiple times targetin the Manipur CM and the BJP-led governments at the Centre and in Manipur.
The Manipur journalist also said in his videos that, he was saddened and shocked to learn that, the present Manipur government was observing the birth anniversary of Rani of Jhansi.
According to him, the Rani of Jhansi had nothing to do with Manipur.
The Manipur scribe targeting the BJP-led Manipur government for observing the birth anniversary of Rani of Jhansi and used obscene words in several occasions in his video.
The journalist was detained under NSA on Nov 26 and the District Magistrate of Imphal West ordered detention of the journalist on Nov 27 for allegedly uploading videos on social media criticising the BJP-led both Centre and Manipur government.
According to the reports, the Advisory Board of the National Security Act (NSA), in its sitting held on Dec 11, had examined the allegations levelled against the journalist and on Dec 13, the board recommended that there were ‘sufficient grounds’ to detain the journalist under the provisions of the NSA.
On the other hand, the journalist on Wednesday moved to the Manipur High Court against his arrest and his lawyer filed a Habeas Corpus petition.
(Reporting by Hemanth Kumar Nath)
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