Support for right to free speech cannot depend upon religion: Omar Abdullah

Support for the right to free speech cannot depend upon the religion of a person, Omar Abdullah said after many criticised the suspension of US President Donald Trump's social media accounts

Support for the right to free speech cannot depend upon the religion of a person, National Conference (NC) vice-president Omar Abdullah said on Saturday after many criticised the suspension of US President Donald Trump's social media accounts following the storming of the US Capitol by his supporters.

"Will all those crying themselves hoarse about Trump & his right to free speech please extend the same courtesy to #MunawarFaruqui & his friends. You either support the right to free speech or you don't. It can't depend upon the religion of the person speaking/tweeting," Abdullah said on Twitter, referring to the arrested stand-up comedian from Gujarat.

Faruqui was arrested, along with four others, in Indore in Madhya Pradesh on January 2 after the son of a BJP MLA filed a complaint accusing them of passing indecent remarks about Hindu deities and Union Home Minister Amit Shah during a show.

Abdullah's remarks came after various social media users, including some BJP leaders, expressed concern on Saturday over the suspension of Trump's Twitter account.

Days after Trump's supporters stormed the US Capitol and caused the deaths of four civilians and a police officer, Twitter suspended his account due to the "risk of further incitement of violence". Facebook and Instagram had earlier suspended Trump's accounts.