INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
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Abhijit Iyer-Mitra had been in prison since 23 October
An Indian
man has been released from prison after more than a month, for posting satirical tweets about erotic sculptures in a temple.In September,
Abhijit Iyer-Mitra, posted a video in which he makes disparaging comments about the famous Konark temple in the eastern state of Orissa and
the people of the state.He was arrested after two locals complained he "hurt public sentiment".The state assembly pardoned him on Thursday
Mr Iyer-Mitra had been slapped with an array of charges for his tweets about the erotic sculptures
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Mr Iyer-Mitra posted a video from Orissa's famous Konark temple
He was accused of promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion and race in a place of worship, insulting religious
feelings and creating "public nuisance"
He was also charged with an "obscene act in a public place" and a protection of ancient monument law was invoked to charge him with misuse
of the Konark temple where he recorded his video
The information and technology law was also used to charge him with sending offensive messages.Soon after posting his tweets, Mr Iyer-Mitra
quickly clarified that the tweet was a joke, and the sculptures were "exquisite"
However, his bail pleas were rejected both in the lower court as well as the Supreme Court.Mr Iyer-Mitra has not commented publicly since
his release.Soutik Biswas, TheIndianSubcontinent News DelhiThe decision to put Abhijit Iyer-Mitra in prison for cracking jokes smacks of
petty vindictiveness and damages India's already wobbly reputation as a liberal democracy.Free speech appears to be in peril all around:
journalists have been arrested, independent media has been under attack, internet shutdowns have become common, and cases of defamation,
sedition and censorship are on the rise.He also appeared to have become a pawn in a political game involving a prominent local MP who had
fallen foul of the state's chief minister
When he made his "objectionable" video, Mr Iyer-Mitra was a guest of Baijayant "Jay" Panda, a former member of parliament who was forced out
of Orissa by chief minister Naveen Patnaik's political party
Many believe Mr Patnaik was looking to embarrass Mr Panda and the video came in handy to do just that.Read more from Soutik Biswas
