Born and raised in the United States, Kannada actor and activist Chetan Kumar had made the headlines in March, when he was arrested for his viral ‘Hindutva is built on lies’ tweet. A complaint had been filed against him by Shivakumar of Bajrang dal at the Seshadripuram Police Station for hurting Hindu sentiments. While he was sent to 14-day judicial custody by a Bengaluru court, he was granted bail. Now, on Saturday, during a media interaction he has claimed that the centre has revoked his Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) card.
According to Indian Express, the actor has received a letter dated March 28, to return his OCI card from the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO), within 15 days of receiving the letter. He told the media publication that he will be approaching the Karnataka High Court to see what can be done. Shedding light on the content of the letter, he revealed that it claims he has violated COVID-19 guidelines and criticised a judge. ALSO READ: Kannada Actor Chetan Kumar Gets Bail For Rs 25,000, Days After His Viral ‘Hindutva Is Built On LIES’ Tweet Got Him Arrested
The 40-year-old further adds, “The letter claimed that I violated Covid-19 guidelines and criticised a judge, but in no case have I been convicted. The system does not want people to question injustice and inequality. It is not the first time and it will not be the last time. My fight for a better society will continue.” ALSO READ: Kannada Actor Chetan Kumar ARRESTED After His Controversial Tweet On Hindutva Goes Viral; Bajrangi Dal Accuses Him Of Hurting Hindu Sentiments
For the unversed, in his tweet, Kumar had gone on to call Hindutva a lie and claimed that various incidents that are said to be true, had been fabricated. He had written, “Savarkar: Indian ‘nation’ began when Rama defeated Ravana & returned to Ayodhya —> a lie. 1992: Babri Masjid is ‘birthplace of Rama’ —> a lie. 2023: Urigowda-Nanjegowda are ‘killers’ of Tipu—> a lie. Hindutva can be defeated by TRUTH—> truth is EQUALITY.”
In February last year, he was put behind the bars for tweeting against Karnataka High Court Justice Krishna Dixit, who was hearing the hijab case at the time. He was released on bail later. In October 2022, Chetan again made headlines after he was booked for claiming that ‘Bhoota Kola’, which was shown in the film Kantara, was not part of a Hindu custom.
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