On February 21, 2024, Indian police arrested an International Institute for Population Studies (IIPS) student after he reshared a WhatsApp message denouncing a celebration of the consecration of Ram Temple.

The student who had shared the original WhatsApp message had been arrested a few weeks earlier for “outraging religious feelings” (see report). The second student shared a screenshot of the original message.

Police entered campus to arrest the second student after the registrar gave permission for them to go on to the campus. At the time of writing, there was no publicly available information indicating what the outcomes of the charges or investigation were.

Scholars at Risk is concerned about police bringing charges against a student in apparent retaliation for the peaceful exercise of freedom of expression–conduct which is protected by international human rights instruments, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which India is a party. University authorities have an obligation to refrain from restricting or retaliating against expressive activities so long as they are peaceful and responsible. In addition to the harm to the immediate victims, penalties intended to restrict student expression undermine academic freedom and democratic society generally.

Sources:
https://thewire.in/campus/second-iips-student-arrested-posting-against-ram-temple-celebration
https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/mumbai/mumbai-police-arrests-student-over-communal-social-media-post-9141095/
https://maktoobmedia.com/india/mumbai-second-iips-student-arrested-for-criticising-ram-temple-event-a-month-after-first-arrest/
https://scroll.in/latest/1063134/mumbai-dalit-student-arrested-for-social-media-post-opposing-celebrations-of-ram-temple-event