Pune Police have arrested five activists from different cities of the country for their alleged suspicion of Maoists links in the Bhima Karegaon violence that took place in January 2018. Among the arrested were civil rights activist, lawyer and Indian trade unionist, Sudha Bharadwaj, Arun Ferreira, Vernon Gonzalves, Gautam Navlakha and poet Varavara Rao.
Raids were also carried in houses as a part of the plan to probe into the violence caused. In fact, two letter were also discovered from one of the houses indicating ‘Maoists’ plans to assassinate the Prime Minister Narendra Modi. These countrywide raids and arrests for the culprits have been regarded as ‘dangerous signs’ and ‘witch hunt’ by the vigilant social media users.
However, only a day after the arrest of these activists involved in the Bhima Koregaon violence, filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri has created one of the biggest debates on Twitter by asking the ‘bright young minds’ to volunteer for ‘making a list of those who are defending the “Urban Naxals” who have been arrested by the Pune Police.
Vivek Agnihotri posted this tweet on his social media account and unexpectedly, took the debate against the Urban Naxals to the top-notch:
I want some bright young people to make a list of all those who are defending #UrbanNaxals Let’s see where it leads. If you want to volunteer with commitment, pl DM me. @squintneon would you like to take the lead?
— Vivek Agnihotri (@vivekagnihotri) August 28, 2018
Reportedly, Vivek Agnihotri describes the term “Urban Naxals” as those urban intellectuals, influencers or activists of importance who are “invisible enemies of India” in his book.
Apparently, Vivek Agnihotri’s tweet has started a political storm on the social media leading to an online war of words among the netizens. His tweet has drawn significant flak on social media and the filmmaker has to face the wrath of Twitterati with outrageous messages.
Evidently, Vivek has been bombarded with a barrage of abusive messages in response and a hashtag #MeTooUrbanNaxal has been trended by those opposing him. Have a read at a few of the tweets from the social media:
Hey @vivekagnihotri, I volunteer to be on your list. Let’s tag @vivekagnihotri with the hashtag #MeTooUrbanNaxal and help him build his list. We should all help this man in his noble endeavour. https://t.co/zY1Azarv8l
— Pratik Sinha (@free_thinker) August 29, 2018
What about you!?
#MeTooUrbanNaxal, what about you? pic.twitter.com/0y8lrz3IUo
— Pratik Sinha (@free_thinker) August 29, 2018
Put me on your list right away!
Hi @vivekagnihotri,
Dissent is important for our democracy to function and to hold our Government accountable. I intend to do exactly that.
Put me on your list.#metoourbannaxal
— Meghnad (@Memeghnad) August 29, 2018
Proud to be an Urban Naxal
If asking the questions, or standing up for humanity and freedom of speech makes me an urban Naxal… then I’m proud to be one #MeTooUrbanNaxal
— Archana Bhardwaj 🌈 (@archieroolz) August 29, 2018
More power to the fight!
Love the #MeTooUrbanNaxal trend. More power to resilience. More power to the good fight. ❤️
— Nazia Erum (@nazia_e) August 29, 2018
More names coming up!
How’s that list going? Have enough? If not, put my name on it #MeTooUrbanNaxal
— Sandhya Menon (@TheRestlessQuil) August 29, 2018
Focus only on directing films!
Hi Vivek, here is a list of all the superhit movies you have made (the only job I think you should focus on):
1. Chocolate (plagiarised version of the Usual Suspects)
2. Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal
3. Hate Story
4. Zid
5. Buddha in a Traffic Jam
6. Junooniyat
Waiting for more pls 🙂— Somesh Jha (@someshjha7) August 29, 2018
Outstanding citizens!
I would be proud to be jailed with those arrested yesterday. They are all outstanding citizens of the country and if dissent is a crime #MeTooUrbanNaxal https://t.co/UGWHG9kMXN
— Arpita Chatterjee (@arpitachatter) August 29, 2018
Well, this is unexpected!
I would cringe & die of shame if I was part of any movement which includes the daft Vivek Agnihotri! #MetooUrbanNaxal
Also See
Top Most Characters of Mahabharata— Swati Chaturvedi (@bainjal) August 29, 2018
Yes, even I am!
I think. I debate. I read. I question. I dissent. I criticise. I emphatise. I protest. I probe. I exist. #MeTooUrbanNaxal
— amrita madhukalya (@visually_kei) August 29, 2018
Unstoppable!
Hey douchebag Vivek, I am sure am on the list but here am officially in #MeTooUrbanNaxal
You can’t stop me or my tribe!
— Prabha Raj (@deepsealioness) August 29, 2018
Undoubtedly!
I am pretty sure if Bhagat Singh was alive today, he would be on that list too.#MeTooUrbanNaxal @vivekagnihotri
— Akshay Gupta (@akshay_gupta01) August 29, 2018
Arrest me like her!
If @Sudhabharadwaj is a naxal, I am a naxal too. Arrest me. #MetooUrbanNaxal
— nikhil wagle (@waglenikhil) August 29, 2018
Apparently, yes!
Had Mahatma Gandhi and Ambedkar been alive, they would have been on that list too https://t.co/D881sii7bg
— Ruben Mascarenhas (@rubenmasc) August 29, 2018
However, many users came in support of the director’s tweet and volunteered their versions of the list of the Urban Naxals who ‘deserve’ to be on the list. Have a read at a few of the tweets listing out popular people from the country to be called as ‘Urban Naxals’:
Prakash Karat
Prashant Bhushan
Indira Jaysingh
Nikhil Wagle
Kumar Ketkar
Ilaiyah
Ram Guha
Shehla Rashid
Rana Ayyub
Nidhi
….To be Continue….
— Arvind Lodha (@AB_BJP) August 28, 2018
‘Anti-India Gang’
Anti India Gang. pic.twitter.com/FAjQpEYDHc
— Hrishikesh Trivedi (@RishiTri76) August 29, 2018
Well!
After this these two Javed Akhtar and Shabana Azmi should be on the list. pic.twitter.com/81PwOwKhCz
— Priyank Goel (@capriyankgoel) August 28, 2018
All ready??
The list is more than ready. All yours. pic.twitter.com/blSrbj3i4B
— Pradeep Banerjee (@1975_Emergency) August 28, 2018
More names added!
Add few of these in ur list of #UrbanNaxals pic.twitter.com/J9s8YtWW08
— Bhrustrated® (@AnupamUncl) August 28, 2018
While defending his point-of-view, Vivek Agnihotri has said in a recent interview:
“I will stand by my tweet. By outraging against my tweet and my suggested list, they expose their own mindset and modus operandi. These are the people who create lists to target people and entities, so they think that when someone else talks about creating a list, they will also indulge in a similar end game. But my game here is only about narrative and academic.”
The arrest of the activists which has definitely come under severe condemnation as hailed by Vivek Agnihotri’s opinion of the Urban Naxals.
