Facebook has removed my poem: Srijato

Poet Srijato Bandyopadhyay claimed on Saturday that Facebook had deleted his controversial poem he had posted on his wall.

"The Facebook authorities have removed the poem which had led to so much controversy in the past few days," said Bandyopadhyay.

A police complaint was lodged against Bandyopadhyay for posting a 12-line poem titled "Abhishaap" ("Curse") on Facebook on March 19, the day Aditya Nath Yogi was sworn in as Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister.

Complainant Arnab Sarkar - said to be a member of Hindu right wing group - filed a case at the Cyber Crime Police Station of northern West Bengal's Siliguri Police Commissionerate on Monday night, demanding Bandyopadhyay's arrest and exemplary punishment for the post which "hurt Hindu sentiments".

On Thursday evening, Bandyopadhyay and his wife Durba lodged a complaint with the Kolkata Police Cyber Cell of receiving obscene messages on Facebook messenger.

They said they are also receiving "con calls" from unknown numbers.

A case has been lodged under sections 67 of the IT Act and 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code on the basis of his complaint.

The couple have been provided with a bodyguard from the Special Branch of Kolkata Police for security.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee stood by the poet.

In a veiled attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party, she on Thursday said a "certain party engaged in saffronisation" is threatening Bandyopadhyay, and vowed to protect him.

"A particular party, engaged in saffronisation, is giving threats to Srijato on social media. It is unfortunate. It is a political poem. I will take care of the fact that he faces no problem. Let him write poems," she said.

--IANS

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