2 weeks ago
Kerala CM admits knowing Youth Cong activist held with MDMA
In the Indian state of Kerala, two young men were arrested because police found them with a drug called MDMA.
One of them, Muhammad Hussain, was a member of the Youth Congress, a group for young people who support a political party.
Kerala's Chief Minister, V.D. Satheesan, said he personally knew Hussain and the other arrested man, Abdul Salam.
He explained that he first called Hussain after Hussain was badly hurt during a police action at an event led by Pinarayi Vijayan, who was Chief Minister at the time.
Satheesan later visited Hussain at his home, and Hussain came to meet him three or four times.
Nobody, he said, knew about Hussain's suspected drug involvement before the arrest.
Another leader, Pinarayi Vijayan, accused the state government of quietly removing news about the arrest from social media.
Satheesan denied this, saying his office only asked the company Meta to restore the official Instagram account of the Chief Minister's Office.
He even offered to write to Meta saying that posts criticising him should not be removed.
Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan admitted he personally knows Muhammad Hussain and Abdul Salam, the two youths arrested with MDMA.
Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan accused the Congress-led UDF government of 'undeclared social media censorship' over allegedly removed reports on the Kasaragod drug arrest.
Satheesan denied that his office recommended that Meta remove news reports criticising him.
He said he first contacted Hussain after he was seriously injured in a police lathi charge during the Nava Kerala Sadas led by then Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
Satheesan said Hussain was not part of his social media team and that his only request to Meta was to restore the Chief Minister's Office Instagram account, which remains unrestored after two months.
- Who
- Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan, arrested youths Muhammad Hussain and Abdul Salam, Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan, and social media company Meta.
- What
- Satheesan admitted to personally knowing the two youths arrested with MDMA and denied that his office recommended Meta remove news reports criticising him, while Vijayan accused the government of undeclared social media censorship.
- Where
- Kerala, India; the drug arrest took place at Kasaragod, and the earlier police lathi charge occurred in front of MGM School at Kuruppampady, Perumbavoor.
- When
- Thursday, August 13, when Satheesan spoke at a press conference; Vijayan's censorship accusation was made on Wednesday.
- Why
- The statements responded to allegations over the removal of news reports covering the arrest of a person claiming to be Satheesan's social media coordinator in a drug case.
Satheesan / Congress-led UDF government
Pinarayi Vijayan / Opposition
Social media censorship
Satheesan / Congress-led UDF government
Satheesan denied that his office recommended Meta remove news reports criticising him, saying the only request was to restore the CMO's Instagram account; he offered to write to Meta stating that posts criticising him should not be removed.
Pinarayi Vijayan / Opposition
Vijayan accused the Congress-led UDF government of 'undeclared social media censorship' over the alleged removal of reports on the arrest of a person claiming to be Satheesan's social media coordinator.
Ties to the arrested activist
Satheesan / Congress-led UDF government
Satheesan said he knew Hussain because Hussain was seriously injured in a police lathi charge during the Nava Kerala Sadas, that party workers suggested the visit, and that no one knew of the alleged drug involvement until the arrest; he denied Hussain was on his social media team.
Pinarayi Vijayan / Opposition
The opposition's criticism centers on the arrest in a drug case of a person claiming to be Satheesan's social media coordinator while related reports were allegedly removed from social media.
Scope of content removals
Satheesan / Congress-led UDF government
Satheesan said several posts favourable to him were also removed, similar removals affected content concerning the Chief Ministers of Telangana and Himachal Pradesh, and the trend has occurred across India since Meta apologised to the Prime Minister.
Pinarayi Vijayan / Opposition
The opposition focused on the alleged suppression of reports covering the Kasaragod drug arrest as evidence of censorship directed at the state government's critics.
Key facts
- Subject
- Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan
- Arrested individuals
- Muhammad Hussain and Abdul Salam
- Drug involved
- MDMA
- Arrest location
- Kasaragod, Kerala
- Hussain's affiliation
- Youth Congress activist
- Opposition allegation
- "Undeclared social media censorship" by the Congress-led UDF government
- Satheesan's denial
- His office did not recommend that Meta remove news reports criticising him
- Meta request
- Only request was to restore the official Instagram account of the Chief Minister's Office, not restored after two months
Quotes
V. D. Satheesan
Kerala Chief Minister
“"First, I personally know the two people who were arrested. I personally know Muhammad Hussain and Abdul Salam. Among them, Muhammad Hussain was a Youth Congress activist there."”
m.rediff.com
theprint.in
“Do you think I am such a fool to believe that by having Meta remove 10 posts, we can gag the media and social media in Kerala?”
theprint.in
Sources
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