INDIA: Indian anti-graft crusader, Arvind Kejriwal, meets arrested cartoonist Aseem Trivedi in Mumbai and warns of another agitation if sedition charges are not dropped against him at the earliest

Record ID: 1375074

  • Title: INDIA: Indian anti-graft crusader, Arvind Kejriwal, meets arrested cartoonist Aseem Trivedi in Mumbai and warns of another agitation if sedition charges are not dropped against him at the earliest
  • Date: 12th September 2012
  • Summary: MUMBAI, MAHARASHTRA, INDIA (SEPTEMBER 11, 2012) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (ANI-NO ACCESS BBC) EXTERIOR OF A PRISON POLICE OFFICIALS STANDING TRAFFIC MOVING ON A STREET OUTSIDE THE PRISON POLICE OFFICIALS STANDING OUTSIDE THE PRISON CLOSE AIDE OF INDIA'S ANTI-GRAFT CRUSADER ANNA HAZARE, ARVIND KEJRIWAL, COMING OUT OF A VEHICLE MEDIAPERSONS AND POLICE OFFICIALS SURROUNDING KEJRIWAL MEDIAPERSONS STANDING SUPPORTERS SHOUTING SLOGANS KEJRIWAL ENTERING THE PRISON (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) INDIAN ANTI-GRAFT CRUSADER, ARVIND KEJRIWAL, SAYING: "I just met Aseem Trivedi. We spoke to him. I really salute him for his courage. He is a patriot and since one year, he is fighting against corruption. He cannot be a traitor. He has fought for Lokpal (Ombudsman bill) and corruption. It is ironical that those people who are involved in coal scam are considered to be patriots, while those who make cartoons against them are considered as traitors." (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) INDIAN ANTI-GRAFT CRUSADER, ARVIND KEJRIWAL, SAYING: "We are getting statements from Ambika Soni and Manish Tewari that it is not right to book a case against him. It is not sufficient to just give statements. This is your own party's government. You can take back these cases within two minutes. Why aren't you doing that? I spoke to Aseem that if sedition charges against him are not dropped by Friday and if he is not released, then we will begin our agitation here from Saturday onwards. We will ask them to put us in jail too. Either put us in jail or release him." KEJRIWAL LEAVING
  • Embargoed: 26th September 2012 20:36
  • Keywords:
  • Location: India
  • Country: India
  • Topics: Crime,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAF5K41DVPH1R63HUOVO2FUYANT
  • Aspect Ratio: 4:3
  • Story Text: Indian anti-graft crusader, Arvind Kejriwal, met arrested cartoonist Aseem Trivedi in Mumbai on Tuesday (September 11) and warned of another agitation if sedition charges were not dropped against him at the earliest.
    Trivedi was arrested on charges of sedition for allegedly insulting national symbols, after a private complaint over a series of cartoons, including one that depicts the parliament building as a toilet buzzing with flies.
    He turned himself in and was remanded in custody on Sunday (September 09), an official at the east Mumbai police station told Reuters.
    Kejriwal said that the federal government has always targeted those who voice their opinion against corruption.

    "I just met Aseem Trivedi. We spoke to him. I really salute him for his courage. He is a patriot and since one year, he is fighting against corruption. He cannot be a traitor. He has fought for Lokpal (Ombudsman bill) and corruption. It is ironical that those people who are involved in coal scam are considered to be patriots, while those who make cartoons against them are considered as traitors," he said.
    The Congress party on Monday (September 10) decried the cartoonist's arrest, saying that the decision taken by the provincial government of India's western Maharashtra state was 'overstretched'.
    Kejriwal said that the high-profile leaders of the Congress party could drop charges if they want to and added that if Trivedi was not released by Friday, then they would court arrest.

    "We are getting statements from Ambika Soni and Manish Tewari that it is not right to book a case against him. It is not sufficient to just give statements. This is your own party's government. You can take back these cases within two minutes. Why aren't you doing that? I spoke to Aseem that if sedition charges against him are not dropped by Friday and if he is not released, then we will begin our agitation here from Saturday onwards. We will ask them to put us in jail too. Either put us in jail or release him," he said.
    Trivedi had sketched a number of cartoons of 'Mother India' dressed in a tricolour sari, while a politician and a bureaucrat pin her down and urge 'the beast of corruption' to assault her. The cartoon was titled 'Gang Rape of Mother India'.
    In another drawing, the four lions in the national emblem, the Ashoka Chakra, were replaced with foxes and the engraved motto 'Satyamev Jayate' (truth triumphs) was replaced with 'Brashtamev Jayate' (corruption triumphs).
    The cartoonist's family and supporters termed his arrest as 'unjustified' during a protest in Trivedi's hometown in Kanpur of India's northern state of Uttar Pradesh.
    Late on Monday, Trivedi was sent to judicial custody until September 24.
    Trivedi was the recipient of this year's of the acclaimed 'Courage in Editorial Cartooning Award'. He became popular among anti-corruption activists who complain India's government is increasingly intolerant of criticism.
  • Copyright Holder: ANI (India)
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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