Mamata Banerjee condemns Disha Ravi's arrest

Kolkata, Feb 15: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Monday condemned the arrest of 22-year-old climate activist Disha Ravi and said the BJP government should first take action against its own IT cell which, she alleged, is spreading fake news.
She also came down heavily on the BJP government at the Centre for the rise in the prices of LPG and fuel.

"Arresting anybody who is protesting against government policies is not unacceptable. The BJP should first take action against its own IT Cell members who are spreading fake news. Why two sets of rules ?" Banerjee told a press conference here.

Banerjee alleged that the IT cell members of the saffron party are calling up people posing as TMC members and are maligning her party.

"I have asked Kolkata police to look into it," she said.

"Besides, every day LPG and fuel prices are going up and the Centre is not bothered about it. It is only interested in making false promises ahead of elections," she said.

West Bengal Assembly poll is due in April-May and BJP which made deep inroads in the politically polarised state is looking to deseat the 10-year-old TMC regime in the state.

Disha Ravi, a 22-year-old climate activist was arrested from Bengaluru recently for allegedly sharing with Greta Thunberg the "toolkit" related to the farmer''''s protest against the Centre''s agri laws, police said on Sunday.

Delhi Police claimed that Disha Ravi, who was arrested by a cyber cell team of the force on Saturday, was an editor of the "toolkit Google doc" and the "key conspirator" in the document''s formulation and dissemination. PTI PNT KK Thunberg, a teen climate activist, had shared the "toolkit" to lend her support to the farmers'''' agitation against the three farm reform laws. In the document, various urgent actions, including creating a Twitter storm and protesting outside Indian embassies, were listed which were needed to be taken to support the farmers' protest.