Two activists are facing separate charges of blasphemy for calling into question harmful religious traditions and superstitious thinking.
Babu Gogineni, a former director of the International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU), is kind of like India’s James Randi. He’s known for appearing in the media and debunking charlatans. Last year, in a clip that went viral, he debunked two “pranic healers” who said energy could heal your body and that they could cure your problems over the phone.
So what did he do that was so awful?
Petitioner Veera Narayana Chowdary said he was watching Gogineni’s speeches online… and that’s literally it.
He filed this unbelievable litany of charges against Gogineni that include obscenity, insulting religion, and “public mischief.”
The case was registered under Sections 121 (Waging, or attempting to wage war, or abetting waging of war, against the Government of India), 124a (Sedition), 153a (Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion), 153b (Imputations, assertions prejudicial to national integration), 292 (Obscenity), 293 (Sale, etc, of obscene objects to young person), 295-A (Deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs), 406 (Criminal breach of trust), 420 (Cheating), 504 (Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and 505 (Statements conducing public mischief) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Babu was also booked under sections of the UIDAI Act for allegedly collecting and storing Aadhar details.
Chowdary made these claims during a news program:
Speaking on the panel, Veera claimed that he had submitted video footage of Babu’s speeches criticising Hindu ‘traditions’ in speeches made abroad.
“Freedom of speech is there, but it should not hurt the sentiments of believers,” he claimed.
Freedom of speech doesn’t count when you have to include an exemption for speech that might offend people. The whole reason nations need free speech laws is to protect speakers from people who might not like what they have to say.
Gogineni hasn’t been arrested yet, and that’s for a rather interesting reason. For the past month, he’s been locked up in a house filming the local version of Big Brother called Bigg Boss Telugu 2. (Telugu is the local language.) That means these charges are coming against him and he can’t even defend himself. Even worse, he likely has no idea what’s happening since the show requires contestants to be isolated from the rest of the world.
Read the full story at The Friendly Atheist
