BJP Slams Bengal Journalist's Arrest Over Misinformation Video

The arrest of a journalist over a video he had posted on social media on last week's violence between two communities in Kolkata's Mominpore has triggered a political controversy. Opposition BJP has hit out at the police and the government of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for the arrest, while police say the video could have disturbed communal harmony.

Manab Guha, the arrested person, was produced in court and remanded in police custody.

Police had reportedly told Mr Guha to take down the post that had several factually incorrect statements and information. He was taken into custody on Thursday after he refused to remove the post despite repeated requests from the authorities.

BJP claims there was no notice issued against him before his arrest, which is mandatory for crimes that can result in sentences of less than seven years. BJP's Suvendu Adhikari, Leader of the Opposition, said he had contacted Mr Guha's family. He added that BJP would provide legal support to Mr Guha and ensure his release from jail.

Mr Guha had earlier posted several videos on social media that were critical of the government in West Bengal. He had worked for local news channels and was running a news portal for the last few years.

The video in question makes several claims in connection with the violence in Mominpore-Ekbalpore, which, the authorities say, are untrue and factually incorrect. He had also questioned the coverage of the incident in mainstream media.

The video has been deleted from social media platforms by the authorities.