On February 14, the Delhi Police arrested 21-year-old Disha Ravi from her Bengaluru residence for sharing a ‘toolkit’ pertaining to the farmers’ protest, with environmental activist Greta Thunberg.
The Delhi police had earlier alleged that this toolkit “predates and indicates a copycat execution of a conspiracy behind the 26 Jan violence”. Further, they blamed that ”the call was to wage economic, social, cultural and regional war against India”.
Delhi Police has taken cognizance of a ‘Toolkit Document’ found on a social media platform that predates and indicates a copycat execution of a conspiracy behind the 26Jan violence. The call was to wage economic, social, cultural and regional war against India.
— #DilKiPolice Delhi Police (@DelhiPolice) February 4, 2021
Disha was taken under-arrest by the cybercrime unit of the Delhi police and has been sent for a 5-day-custody at this point.
The Delhi Police later published 3 tweets regarding the arrest.
In this process,they all collaborated with pro Khalistani Poetic Justice Foundation to spread disaffection against the Indian State. She was the one who shared the Toolkit Doc with Greta Thunberg. @HMOIndia @LtGovDelhi @CPDelhi
— #DilKiPolice Delhi Police (@DelhiPolice) February 14, 2021
Later, she asked Greta to remove the main Doc after its incriminating details accidentally got into public domain. This is many times more than the 2 lines editing that she claims.@PMOIndia @HMOIndia @LtGovDelhi @CPDelhi
— #DilKiPolice Delhi Police (@DelhiPolice) February 14, 2021
As per them, Disha shared the toolkit with Greta, and the latter published it on social media by mistake.
As Disha remains in the police custody, here is more information on who she is and what she does.
The 21-year-old is the co-founder and head of Fridays for Future – a climate activist group started by Greta Thunberg. The Mount Carmel College graduate has been looking after its operations since 2019.
She has been actively taking part in climate-related issues, initiating conversation about them across the globe.
In fact, she was interviewed by Vogue for their piece ‘4 Activists Of Colour On The Urgent Need To Counteract Environmental Racism‘, where she had noted:
People of colour are suffering from the climate crisis first-hand. A lot of people don’t give us the attention that we need. The fact that you would choose to listen to a white person on the same issue rather than a person of colour, to me, is environmental racism.
Disha is also working for GoodMyIk, an organisation working towards making plant-based food ‘affordable and accessible in India’ and has been associated with Green Peace campaigns in the past.
A report from The Indian Express quoted Disha on her climate-related concerns.
Personally for my country I am not very optimistic. The amount of violations and environmentally destructive projects the government has promoted, especially during the lockdown there have been huge deforestation issues. It is very scary. There are no existing political parties that can lead an environment or climate change crisis.
She also led an email campaign against Environment Impact Assessment 2020, which involved thousands of people sending emails to Prakash Javadekar, the Environment Minister, against the step.
The government blocked the FFF site under UAPA charges for the same.
The activist has been booked under the charges of sedition, criminal conspiracy, and promoting enmity, and support for her has been pouring from all directions.
Arrest of 21 yr old Disha Ravi is an unprecedented attack on Democracy. Supporting our farmers is not a crime.
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) February 15, 2021
The bravado of Narendra Modi. Arresting a 21 year old climate change activist for volunteering in the farmers protest. Disha Ravi has been incarcerated for expressing solidarity with the farmers. Is the world watching ? pic.twitter.com/IURQJXKpoM
— Rana Ayyub (@RanaAyyub) February 14, 2021
Indian officials have arrested another young female activist, 21 yo Disha Ravi, because she posted a social media toolkit on how to support the farmers’ protest. Read this thread about the sequence of events and ask why activists are being targeted and silenced by the government. https://t.co/ycUgDEqwdF
— Meena Harris (@meenaharris) February 14, 2021
There needs to be global outrage over the arrest of Disha Ravi. This is not an aberration, this is the new norm for the Worlds largest democracy. We are turning into a dictatorship. Your silence will enable this @POTUS @KamalaHarris
— Rana Ayyub (@RanaAyyub) February 15, 2021
PM of world’s largest ‘democracy’ is scared of a 21 year old kid. #DishaRavi
— Saral Patel (@SaralPatel) February 14, 2021
Dear CJI Bobde,
— Srivatsa (@srivatsayb) February 15, 2021
You hear Arnab’s Bail on priority basis.
Against all legal norms, Disha Ravi has been sent to 5-day Police Custody.
There is nothing criminal in the ‘Toolkit’. It’s a fabricated conspiracy by the Govt.
Will you suo-motu take up this case & release Disha asap?
Beti bachao or Beti ko Govt sey Bachao?#DishaRavi
— Atul Khatri (@one_by_two) February 15, 2021
Along with Disha Ravi, Nikita Jacob Shantanu have also been targeted by the Delhi police for being involved in the non-criminal association with a protest toolkit.
— Andre Borges (@borges) February 15, 2021
While Disha is getting a lot of attention the non-bailable warrants against Nikita and Shantanu are not.
The people comparing #DishaRavi to Ajmal Kasab had absolutely no qualms with their own party colleagues asking for people to be shot on the street. My city elected this man to parliament. For shame. pic.twitter.com/oRDFJ9apCz
— Mohamed Zeeshan (@ZeeMohamed_) February 15, 2021
The Delhi Police has further released non-bailable warrants against activists Nikita Jacob and Shantanu, in connection with an apparent ‘tweet storm’ before the 26 January protests.
