Mumbai: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray has asked people to approach him if they’ve received a notice for writing against the Narendra Modi government.
He has also appealed to the police to stop harassing people on the directives of the government. "Governments keep changing!" he wrote.
Within a week of launching his Facebook page, Thackeray has garnered 6.45 lakh followers. He decided to join the social media platform in view of 'misleading information' being spread among the people.
"They (the BJP) orchestrated a completely misleading media campaign, whereby tricking the common man with deceit and misinformation. But this very ‘Weapon’ of social media that the BJP made use of has boomeranged on them. Winning the 2014 election became an obsession where in all principles and ethics were relinquished. False promises were made, truth was distorted, and to ignite the public sentiments, unscrupulous and deceitful means were employed," Thackeray wrote in his Facebook post.
He said that those who tried to oppose the government were humiliated and were trolled, adding that people would have overlooked it, had the government done its job well. "However, forget fulfilling promises, what was most shocking and disgraceful was the acknowledgment that the assurances were just an election gimmick."
Calling demonetisation a blunder which was also very dispassionately executed, he said, "Innumerable people lost their jobs. Inflation reached its peak. All this happened and no one could question the government? The Prime Minister has gone to proclaim that he is the ‘servant’ of the public and public his king. If this is the case, then doesn't the king have the right to question on non-performance?"
"And when the citizens express their dissent and disappointment via various social media platforms, their right to freedom of thought and expression will be muffled? By sending them notices via police? Is questioning the failed policies of the Prime Minister supposed to lead to a law and order situation? Then what about the damage done by trolls?"
He accused the government of using ‘Photoshop’ techniques to show something that never existed. "All the journalists and intellectuals who opposed the BJP had to suffer such humiliation and slander that on reading it, one actually got disillusioned with the entire gamut of social media. I, then wonder how come all of this didn't create a law and order situation? You derived immense pleasure in ridiculing other political parties and their leaders but when the tables were turned and you were made the recipient of such slander, the police force was asked to intervene."
Voicing his concern against the trolls, he has appealed to people to contact him, if they have received any notices from police. "In her book ‘I am a troll’ one journalist Swati Chaturvedi has gone into length and exposed the working and arrogance of BJP - How these trolls were created and patronized by the BJP and how the Prime Minister went to the extent of clicking selfies with them. I, again wonder that by showing such support to trolls that are responsible in silencing these little voices of dissent, aren't we heading to a state of anarchy? All those who have received or may receive such notices in future, please feel free to write to me at my [email protected], along with a FIR copy."
He has ended his post by saying, "I (have) admired and always was an ardent supporter of Police and will remain in future too. However, I sincerely request you, don’t harass common people on the instructions of government. Governments keep changing!"
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