Pro-Pak slogans: Actor draws flak for supporting students

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru:

Actor turned activist Chetan Kumar Ahimsa is yet again drawing widespread criticism on social media after he took a stand for the engineering students who were taken into police custody for allegedly raising pro-Pakistan slogans during a private college fest in the city.

The first-year students from New Horizon College of Engineering identified as Aryan, Dinakar and Riya Ravichandran were grilled initially by their friends and then by the police officials for shouting 'Pakistan Zindabad' at a cultural event. When questioned later, they reportedly said that they had raised the slogan 'for fun.'

The other students who instantly took offence, surrounded them and demanded them to say 'Jai Hind' and 'Jai Karnataka Maate,' and apologise. As the students apologised, the other students took a video of the incident and circulated it across various social media platforms. The video clip shows a large number of students assembled during the college fest as the three merrily shouted the slogan. 

However a case was registered at Marathahalli police station against them under sections 153 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot) and 505 (statements conducing to public mischief) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The students were questioned by the cops and were later released on station bail. Meanwhile when the youths were being criticized for their activity, Chetan Kumar stood out for them by saying that the freedom of speech must be upheld.

"For sloganeering ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ for fun at their college fest yesterday, three Bengaluru students—Aryan, Ria & Dinakar— have been bullied & taken into police custody. Ridiculous & dangerous. People of Pakistan are our kith & kin— not our enemies. Freedom of speech must be upheld," he had tweeted.