On Saturday, Uttar Pradesh police arrested journalist Prashant Kanoja over spreading rumours and making offensive comments. Kanoja was once associated with ultra-left wing propaganda website The Wire.
According to the statement released by the Uttar Pradesh police, the officials picked up the accused after a case was registered at Hazratganj police station, Lucknow. The arrest was made after he was accused of spreading rumours on social media. The police officials have confirmed that the accused has confessed to his crime.
A case has been registered under IPC section 500 (defamation), 505 (statements conducing to public mischief) and section 67 of IT act (publishing or transmitting obscene material in electronic form).
Contrary to his former employer, TheWire’s Founding Editor Siddharth Varadarajan’s opinion that Kanojia was arrested for his remarks against UP CM Yogi Adityanath, the Uttar Pradesh Police statement does not mention the ‘offensive remarks’ and rumours he was arrested for.
Shocking for UP cops to arrest anyone for posting this news clip with a comment of his own. Adityanath perhaps doesn’t know this woman and may consider the fact that Prashant took her claim of having video-chatted with him at face value ‘objectionable’. But arrest is abuse of law https://t.co/A8wcfwnW5L
— Siddharth (@svaradarajan) June 8, 2019
The accused Prashant Kanoja is notoriously known in social media circles for spreading fake news, rabid anti-Hindu hate especially against Dalits by making atrocious statements. Prashant Kanoja has a history of making vile comments on Dalits and Hindu saints. He had even referred to Dalits as ‘animals with no brains’.
Dalits going to Hindu Temple and offering prayers with coconut is like nurturing own opresser. It’s like Dalit saying in prayer, “hey bhagwan 5000 se aap hamara soshan karwa rahe ho aur chahta hoon aur karte raho”
Dalits who claims to be Hindu are like animals with no brain.
— Prashant Jagdish Kanojia (@PJkanojia) June 5, 2019
Prashant Kanoja had even called for violence against Hindu saints and had expressed that Hindu saints should be killed to save humanity.
Kill saints and save humanity #SaveSaintsSaveHinduism
— Prashant Jagdish Kanojia (@PJkanojia) September 3, 2016
He had even mocked Hinduism and had referred to it as a “useless religion”.
are they looking for monsoon on Mobile screen? Useless religion useless rituals https://t.co/rP4zzQxAoC
— Prashant Jagdish Kanojia (@PJkanojia) June 7, 2019
Kanojia, who claims that he is an IIMC alumnus, was suspended from the IIMC for abusing a senior faculty according to Prof KG Suresh, an Emeritus Professor and former DG, IIMC.
It’s a shame to call this serial abuser, troll & hate monger a journalist. He was suspended from @IIMC_India for abusing a senior faculty. Criminals r criminals. Period. @myogiadityanath https://t.co/irp67RUBUd
— Prof K G Suresh (@kg_suresh) June 8, 2019
Much like his former employers – The Wire, Kanoja has also been forefront at making a false allegation, insinuating hatred towards Hinduism and deliberately indulging Hinduphobic narratives.
This is the guy @PJkanojia who got arrested by @Uppolice for spreading Rumours and Fake news on SM. pic.twitter.com/Obxw8e4jbh
— Ｗａｌｉ (@NetajiBond) June 8, 2019
Look at his language pic.twitter.com/lhSsiqgb5l
— Ｗａｌｉ (@NetajiBond) June 8, 2019
Recently, along with another Samajwadi Party-friendly journalist associated with The Wire, Rohini Singh Kanoja had indulged in similar propaganda against Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath by twisting and attributing statements made by Mayawati to him which he had never made.
