Imphal: A police complaint has been lodged in Imphal in Manipur, accusing UK-based computer science professor Uday Reddy of inciting communities in Manipur through his social media activity. The accused professor Reddy, who teaches at the University of Birmingham, has been charged with exacerbating ethnic tensions in the violence-stricken state via social media posts and online activities.
The FIR was filed by a local resident at the Imphal police station. Reddy’s social media account on X, under the handle @Kautilya33, has been withheld in India in response to a legal demand as per the law of India.
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The complaint alleges that Professor Reddy has been deliberately promoting enmity between the Meitei and Kuki communities in Manipur on religious grounds. He is accused of conducting online sessions that insult the religious beliefs of the Meitei community and heighten tensions between the Meiteis and Kuki community. Reddy has been charged under Section 117 of the IPC (abetment), Section 295-A (insulting religious sentiments), Section 153-A (promoting enmity between communities), and other relevant legal provisions. The FIR asserts, “Uday Reddy, professor of computer science at the University of Birmingham, deliberately with malicious intentions insults the Meitei/Meitei religious belief of the Meitei/Meitei community. Further, he is promoting enmity between the Meitei community and other communities on the grounds of religion.”
On July 1, the Kuki Students’ Organisation-Delhi & NCR condemned what they termed a “frivolous complaint” against Professor Reddy. They defended Reddy, stating that his social media posts consistently offer unbiased perspectives and the authentic history of both the Kuki and Meitei communities in Manipur.
“It is clear that Professor Reddy, an Indian-loving person of Indian origin with deep connections to India and its people, is being targeted for his commitment to truth and justice,” the Kuki Students’ Organisation stated. “The professor’s activism on social media has never been about vilifying the Meitei community. Rather, it has been about shedding light on the complex truths surrounding the Manipur violence.”
The students’ body has demanded the immediate withdrawal of the complaint and called for an end to what they consider unjust actions against individuals who aim to illuminate the historical and contemporary realities of Manipur.
This incident underscores the ongoing tensions in Manipur and highlights the significant role social media plays in shaping public discourse and perceptions.
