In a major development, a team of Ludhiana Police on late Tuesday arrested YouTuber & 'Political Satirist' Rachit Kaushik from Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar. Rachit Kaushik's arrest took place in Muzzafarnagar when he was going to a wedding. Rachit Kaushik was reportedly picked up at 7 PM when he was accompanying his niece from the parlour to the wedding location. Notably, Rachit Kaushik's arrest has sparked a massive row on social media with BJP leader Bagga saying that the YouTuber was arrested for criticising Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal. However, Ludhiana Police Commissioner Kuldeep Chahal clarified that a non-bailable warrant was issued against Rachit Kaushik for delivering hate speech. Now, the question arises who is Rachit Kaushik?
Who is Rachit Kaushik?
Rachit Kaushik is a Delhi-based YouTuber who owns an Instagram account under the name of 'sabloktantra'. On his Instagram handle, Rachit often uploads political content and give his opinion on the burning topics. Before coming into digital creator profession, Rachit worked as an Assistant Consultant for TCS. He did his Btech in 2006 from Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University.
Ludhiana police commissioner Kuldeep Singh Chahal reportedly informed that Rachit Kaushik was arrested after a case was registered against him under the offences of hurting religious sentiments and promoting enmity between different groups on basis of religion.
However, one of the posts on Rachit's Instagram channel 'Sab Lok Tantra', he claims that he was a "bold voice of Hindutva, famous journalist, political analyst" who was "picked up under a political conspiracy" by Punjab Police from Muzaffarnagar after he "presented some facts on his channels regarding Arvind Kejriwal, his family, and Punjab government."
Alisha Masih, a pastor at Church of God in Peeru Banda area of Ludhiana had filed an FIR against an unknown person. Masih in his complaint reportedly said that a video hurting religious sentiments of Christian community was uploaded from a handle named 'No conversion' on X.
As per Ludhiana Commissioner, during the investigation it was found that the handle on X was being run by Kaushik where he would put many such videos instigating one community against the other. "He is also running many such other handles on YouTube and Instagram where he gives hate speech and tries to instigate communities against each other," said CP Chahal as quoted by a news portal.
The FIR against Rachit Kaushik has been registered under the sections 295-A, 153-A, 153, 504 IPC and 67 Information Technology Act at Salem Tabri police station.
It is pertinent to mention here that Rachit's Instagram handle says that he was kidnapped. However, Muzaffarnagar Police in a video confirmed that Rachit was not kidnapped but was arrested by a team of Ludhiana Police.