Cannot target national symbols in cartoons: Government
September 10th, 2012 - 5:40 pm ICT by IANS
New Delhi, Sep 10 (IANS) As rights activists criticised the government for arresting a cartoonist for an allegedly derogatory cartoon, the government Monday said that such artists should stay “within constitutional limits” and not make national symbols the target of cartoons.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni told reporters that the government had “no problems” with cartoons, but “they should stay within constitutional parameters” and added that “they cannot make national symbols the object of their cartoon”.
She was speaking after a furore erupted over the arrest of Aseem Trivedi for allegedly uploading a derogatory cartoon on his web portal.
Trivedi, 25, an activist of India Against Corruption (IAC), was picked up Saturday evening by Mumbai police following a non-bailable arrest warrant issued against him.
He is accused of uploading “ugly and obscene” matter on his web portal and for putting up objectionable banners insulting the Indian constitution during Anna Hazare’s anti-corruption agitation here last December.
IAC too Monday demanded that Trivedi be “unconditionally released” and “the baseless charge of sedition be withdrawn instantly”.
A Mumbai court Sunday remanded Trivedi to seven days police custody.
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- Release cartoonist Trivedi or face protest: Kejriwal - Sep 11, 2012
- Police cut short quizzing cartoonist Aseem Trivedi (Lead) - Sep 10, 2012
- Cartoonist Trivedi's questioning cut short, sent to judicial custody (Second Lead) - Sep 10, 2012
- Police end quizzing cartoonist Aseem Trivedi - Sep 10, 2012
- Free cartoonist Aseem Trivedi, demands Kejriwal (Lead) - Sep 10, 2012
- Aseem Trivedi walks out of jail (Lead) - Sep 12, 2012
- IAC demands cartoonist Aseem Trivedi's release - Sep 10, 2012
- IAC demands cartoonist Trivedi's release - Sep 10, 2012
- Explain sedition charges against cartoonist, court tells police - Sep 14, 2012
- Cartoonist Trivedi gets bail, refuses to be freed till charges dropped (Second Lead) - Sep 11, 2012
- SIT to investigate cartoonist Trivedi's case - Sep 13, 2012
- Cartoonist Aseem Trivedi to be released Wednesday - Sep 12, 2012
Tags: agitation, ambika soni, anna hazare, arrest warrant, bailable, cartoonist, constitutional limits, constitutional parameters, furore, indian constitution, mumbai court, national symbols, New Delhi, obscene matter, police custody, saturday evening, sedition, target, trivedi, web portal