The fundamental rights of citizens in the state of Chhattisgarh are under serious threat as the Bhupesh Baghel-led Congress government has proceeded to arrest people for sharing grievance over the rampant power cuts in the state.

As per a report in Zee News, in order to contain the news of rampant power cuts in Chhattisgarh, the Congress government in the state put a man behind bars for sharing a video on social media about the rampant power cuts in the state. It is notable to mention that Chhattisgarh is the first state in the country where anyone has been arrested under sedition for posting video against power cut.

Recently, on sharing a video related to the power cut, Mangelal Agarwal, a resident of Musra Dongargarh of Rajnandgaon, was arrested under section 124 A of sedition. Mangelal was arrested following the complaint lodged by the electricity company. As per reports, Mangelal had shared a video that claimed that the CG government’s secret understanding with inverter manufacturers is the reason behind the frequent power cuts in the state.

The High Court Bar Association president CK Kesharwani had stated that the state government’s decision to arrest Mangelal for merely expressing his discontent with the electricity company is completely undemocratic. He stressed that everyone in this country has the right to freedom of expression. In such a case, the government’s decision is against the constitutional principle and the right to freedom of expression of an individual has been profoundly violated, he said.

According to Section 124A, if a person writes anti-government content or speaks, supports such material, insults the national symbols and tries to undermine the constitution, through his written or said words to foment hatred and violence can be punished with 3 years to life sentence.

The Chhattisgarh Congress has passed the buck on the BJP claiming that the opposition party consistently engaging in spreading rumours about power cuts. The state Congress unit has asserted that a section of the BJP is involved in propounding rumours about the electricity cuts in the state to foment anti-government sentiments. Recently, the CM had gone so far as to state that BJP supporters who work in the electricity companies are behind the rampant power cuts.

The BJP, on the other hand, has come down hard against the Congress government for its draconian decree. The BJP has alleged that the Congress party’s real character is now out in open as people are being jailed for expressing their opinions. BJP has asserted that people’s voices are being suppressed and an Emergency-like situation has been created.

In another instance, the Chhattisgarh government had recently arrested a man named Lalit Yadav who is being alleged by the government of sharing an abusive and derogatory remark against CM Bhupesh Baghel. The remark made by Yadav was pertaining to a partially constructed skywalk to facilitate the movement of pedestrians between Jaistambh Chowk to Shastri Chowk areas in the state capital.

According to the officials, Yadav was booked under relevant sections of the Information Technology (IT) Act and produced in a local court which sent him in judicial custody. CM Bhupesh Baghel has now sought public opinion on whether to complete the construction or demolish the partly erected one.