Journalist Abhijit Iyer Mitra arrested for derogatory remarks against Odisha

New Delhi/Bhubaneswar:  The Delhi police on Thursday arrested journalist Abhijit Iyer Mitra for making derogatory remarks on Odisha and its culture. He also made derogatory remarks against the Odisha MLAs.

The cops later interrogated him at Nizamuddin police station in New Delhi.

Sources said Iyer will be produced before Saket Court in Delhi after a medical examination.

The Odisha police are likely to take the journalist on transit remand to Odisha, sources added.

On the other hand, journalist Arti Tikoo Singh, who accompanied Iyer along with former Kendrapara MP Baijayant Panda during Odisha visit, has condemned the arrest.

“So Odisha Police has arrested my friend @Iyervval for his satirical humor because it “hurt religious sentiments”. This is the other side of Indian democracy where religious sentiment supersedes and prevails over all other fundamental rights. We remain stuck in Middle Ages. Shame,” she tweeted.

Meanwhile, Odisha Assembly Speaker Pradip Amat on Thursday approved the proposal for a House Committee to investigate into the derogatory remarks of Mitra.

Leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra will be the chairman of the House Committee. Debi Mishra, KV Singh Deo, Pramila Mallick, Arun Sahoo and Sanjay Das Burma are the other members of the Committee.