Manish Kumar, a Dalit PhD scholar and student leader at Allahabad University, has been booked by police in Azamgarh over a Facebook post in which he questioned national security concerns, the Rafale fighter jet deal, and the Modi government’s silence on corruption allegations following the recent India-Pakistan conflict.
The FIR was filed on May 14 at the Katharipur police station under Section 353(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which pertains to incitement of public disorder, and Section 67 of the IT Act, relating to allegedly offensive or misleading online content.
In the now-controversial post, Kumar asked, “Why has the Modi government not yet denied the reports that claim India lost multiple Rafale jets during the conflict? Why has there been no transparency and clarification?” He also linked the Rafale deal to corporate interests, particularly involving industrialist Anil Ambani—a long-standing point of public debate.
Student groups and rights activists across Uttar Pradesh have condemned the FIR, describing it as an attempt to suppress dissent and muzzle voices from marginalized communities. Kumar currently serves as the Uttar Pradesh State President of the All India Students Association (AISA), affiliated with the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist).
AISA, in a statement, said: “The FIR against Comrade Manish is part of a wider crackdown on dissent in the wake of the Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor. Over 3,000 people have been arrested in Jammu and Kashmir, 42 in Assam for ‘pro-Pakistan’ posts, and in Uttar Pradesh alone, 30 arrests and 40 FIRs have been recorded. Students, artists, and citizens across India are being targeted. This is rule by fear—not democracy.”
Though Kumar has not been taken into custody, legal proceedings are underway. Rights organizations are preparing to contest the FIR in court, arguing that it violates constitutional protections for free expression.
Police have yet to provide a clear explanation for the charges. Civil liberties advocates warn that such actions pose a growing threat to academic freedom and democratic dialogue, especially among student communities.
