Many academics, activists and artists have raised voice against the arrest of Disha Ravi, a 21 year old climate activist from Bengaluru. The Delhi Police have arrested her on the night of Saturday for allegedly editing a Google document shared by International climate activist Greta Thunberg on the protest of farmers. Delhi court has ordered to keep her in police custody for five long days.
The police have alleged that Ravi was the one who shared the toolkit document with Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg and that she is a key conspirator in the formulation and dissemination of the document that “indicates a copycat execution of a conspiracy behind the January 26 violence.” Toolkits are regularly used for streamlining protests and are also used by social media teams of political parties to plan a social media campaign.
It is shared online to educate and promote online campaigns that contains basic information on any issue, tweet suggestions and information on what hashtag to use and whom to tag on social media. Responding to the arrest of Disha Ravi, more than 50 academics, artists and activists raised voice to release Disha by producing a joint statement. They termed the arrest as “illegal in nature”, “Disturbing” and “over reaction of the state”
“Standing unconditionally in solidarity and support with #DishaRavi. I’m so sorry this happened to you sister. We are all with you. Stay strong. This injustice too shall pass. #shameondelhipolice” wrote actor Siddharth in one of his tweets and is constantly extending his supportive hand to the activist. “If protestors assemble in a church they are Christian mercenaries, if they eat biryani they are jihadis, if they wear turbans they are Khalistanis, if they organise themselves it’s a toolkit… But we cannot say anything about this FASCIST government….#SHAME” his another tweet read.
Check out his tweets below :
If you want to go watch a movie with friends, you message all of them which movie, what time and where to assemble before heading there…. This is what may be called a #Toolkit. The ugly version of this is what IT cells do. Stop the bullshit. #ShameOnDelhiPolice
— Siddharth (@Actor_Siddharth) February 14, 2021
I wonder what kind of cruel, unjust autocrat #DelhiPolice report to. I really wonder. Do you know?
— Siddharth (@Actor_Siddharth) February 14, 2021
If protestors assemble in a church they are Christian mercenaries, if they eat biryani they are jihadis, if they wear turbans they are Khalistanis, if they organise themselves it's a toolkit… But we cannot say anything about this FASCIST government….#SHAME
— Siddharth (@Actor_Siddharth) February 14, 2021
You should see how star's fans organise and execute tweet storms, common DPs and hashtags… Then you will understand why it's so moronic to even discuss this #TOOLKIT. We are living in a bizarre dystopia. #DishaRavi
— Siddharth (@Actor_Siddharth) February 14, 2021
On Wednesday, Siddharth came up with a 11 year old video of himself delivering a speech at the Indian School of Business. Sharing the video, he asked why he never got a single complaint or threat then about the tone and nature of his speech. “Nobody attacked me for having an opinion… For asking questions. India has changed. It changed in front of our eyes. Question is… what are we going to do about it?” the actor wrote in his tweet.
Watch the old video Siddharth shared below :
Here’s the tweet he shared asking what people are going to do about people being restricted to voice their opinion :
I wonder why I never got a single complaint or threat then about the tone and nature of my speech? Nobody attacked me for having an opinion… For asking questions. India has changed. It changed in front of our eyes. Question is… what are we going to do about it?
— Siddharth (@Actor_Siddharth) February 17, 2021
“My speech at the Indian School of Business, 2009. This country used to have amnesia. Now its being brainwashed and gaslit by a new normal kind of evil. I wonder why I never got a single complaint or threat then about the tone and nature of my speech? Nobody attacked me for having an opinion… For asking questions. India has changed. It changed in front of our eyes. Question is… what are we going to do about it?” Siddharth asked through his tweet.
Here’s the reply of the actor to a woman who criticized him for his tweets. “I was young and angry then. I am younger and angrier today.” the actor wrote while sharing the video of his speech at Indian Business school. Sidharth said that the woman named Karuna who mocked him, badgered him in 2009 to make him take part in the event.
This is my speech at the Indian School of Business in 2009. In it I speak against poor journalism, public amnesia and incompetent governance. I was young and angry then. I am younger and angrier today. https://t.co/v0UkXCG9kR
— Siddharth (@Actor_Siddharth) February 17, 2021
