NSA invoked against two in Manipur for ridiculing cow urine as COVID preventive

Those ridiculing the claim by several Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders that cow urine prevents COVID 19, are liable to be arrested under the provisions of the National Secutiry Act (NSA)N as has been seen in Manipur, where journalist Kishorchandra Wangkhem and activist Erendro Leichombam were arrested for their critical comment on cow urine as a COVID 19 preventive.

The two had been arrested earlier for ridiculing such claims, even as the two offered condolences for the death of the Manipur BJP President S Tikendra Singh who succumbed to COVID 19, last week. After Wangkhem and Leichombam were released on bail by the local court, the two were slammed with charges under NSA.

State BJP vice-president Usham Deban Singh and general secretary P Premananda Meetei had filed a complaint against the two, following which the two were arrested from their respective residences.

Kiran Kumar, District Magistrate of Imphal West, denying them bail said that the two might resume activities prejudicial to the security of the state and maintenance of public order if released on bail.

This is not the first time that Wangkhem has been arrested under NSA. He was arrested under the Act in 2019 after he posted a video on Facebook, criticising Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Leichombam,is the convenor of People’s Resurgence and Justice Alliance, a political outfit, was charged with sedition last July for his Facebook post.