Navjot Singh Sidhu's Former Political Advisor Arrested Over 'Defamatory' Facebook Post

Congress MP from Patiala, Dr Dharamvira Singh said that the CIA staff of Mohali arrested Malvinder Mali, who was the political advisor of former Punjab Congress president Navjot Sidhu on "flimsy grounds" of a Facebook post and condemned the police action against Mali.

Chandigarh: Malvinder Mali, who was the political advisor of former Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu, has been arrested by the CIA staff of Mohali for his alleged defamatory content against the Punjab Government and Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on social media, sources said on Tuesday.

Sources further said Mohali Police arrested Mali from the house of Ranjit Singh Grewal, Malvinder's brother living in Patiala on Monday. Mali has been booked under the IT Act.

Congress MP from Patiala, Dr Dharamvira Gandhi posted about Mali's arrest in a post on his official Facebook page.

"It is being said that IT act has been filed just because of one Facebook post. This is a gross violation of freedom of expression and freedom of thought. Mali should be released immediately," Gandhi wrote in the post.

Gandhi has asked the Punjab government to "desist from such illegal activities and pay attention to the deteriorating law and order situation in the state".

According to sources, the Punjab police have registered a case under section 196 and 295-A of the IT Act pertaining to "inciting religious sentiments".

Earlier Mali was under fire for his controversial remarks about Jammu and Kashmir on his Facebook post. In the post, Mali had described Jammu and Kashmir as a "separate country" saying that Kashmir should be "freed".