Police
in India have arrested a woman they say criticised on Facebook the shutdown of the city of Mumbai
after the death of politician Bal Thackeray.
A
woman friend who “liked” the comment was also arrested, they said.
The
women, accused of “hurting religious sentiments”, were released on bail after
appearing in court in the town of Palghar, police told the BBC.
The
death of the controversial Hindu nationalist politician on Saturday afternoon
brought Mumbai to a halt.
Thackeray,
one of the most divisive figures in Indian politics, was blamed for inciting
tensions between Hindus and Muslims and was revered by his followers.
News
of his death saw businesses shutting and taxis staying off the roads amid fears
of violence by supporters of the right-wing Shiv Sena party he founded.
While
his supporters grieved, many others were angered by the inconvenience to
commuters and several people were critical on social media sites.
In
her Facebook comment, the 21-year-old wrote,
“People like Thackeray are born and die daily and one should not observe a
‘bandh’ (shutdown) for that.”
In
recent months, police have arrested a number of people in cases which are being
seen as a test of India’s commitment to freedom of speech.
In
October, Ravi Srinivasan, a 46-year-old businessman in the southern Indian city
of Pondicherry, was arrested for a tweet criticising
Karti Chidambaram, son of Indian Finance Minister P. Chidambaram. He was later
released on bail.
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