Mumbai: Two persons were arrested for allegedly circulating a morphed video of Shiv Sena MLA Prakash Surve and a woman party leader, the police informed on Sunday. The accused have been identified as Manas Kuwar (26) and Ashok Mishra (45).
Based on the complaint of the woman leader, the police registered against unknown accused under sections 354, 509, 500, 34 and 67 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and started investigation into the matter.
The matter pertains to Saturday evening, when a rally was organized in Mumbai's Dahisar are, which was also attended by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde
During the event, Shiv Sena MLA Prakash Surve and the woman leader welcomed the chief minister on stage. As per allegations, during the rally some miscreants made a video of the MLA Surve and the woman leader. They allegedly edited the video, put obscene songs into it and made it viral on internet, the police said.
After the video went viral on Saturday night, leaders and workers of the Shinde faction reached the Dahisar police station and demanded an investigation against the accused.
The woman leader, whose alleged morphed video has been made viral, told ANI that she has been on the receiving side of hate for a long time. Talking to ANI, she said, "The attacks on me started when my friends and I started working with CM Eknath Shinde. We have been subjected to abusive messages and derogatory comments on social media."
The leader said that she always chose to ignore the hate, but the situation escalated, when the morphed video was made viral. She added, "During a rally, our local MLA Prakash Surve, CM Eknath Shinde and several BJP leaders were present. At that time, someone made a video, morphed it and made it viral on social media." She also claimed that no woman will enter politics if such things happen.
"They are trying to assassinate the character of woman who are working in politics. There are women working as a journalist, woman going to office, if this is how the character of women is assassinated, no woman will come in politics," she said. She also alleged that the two accused who have been arrested are "office bearers of Thackeray faction".
"I complained to the police about the matter, after which two people were arrested who are office bearers of Thackeray group, so there is nothing to say," she alleged. Further investigation is underway in the case and more details are awaited. (ANI)
