Govt abuses UAPA by charging Kashmiri journalist: Tharoor
Srinagar: Shashi Tharoor, a senior Congress leader, has again targeted Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), which gives power to the government to label an individual as a terrorist.
On 18 April, a female photojournalist from Kashmir, Masrat Zahra, was booked under the UAPA after the police alleged that she had posted “anti-nation” content on Facebook.
“I objected to the introduction of UAPA in the Lok Sabha because I feared it lent itself to misuse,” said Tharoor in a tweet. “The FIR against J-K journalist Masrat Zahra for ‘anti-national’ posts is another instance of the Govt abusing UAPA to curb dissident voices. #ScrapUAPA.”
Various other rights groups and political parties came in support of Zahra on social media — demanding the police to withdraw charges against her.
