New Delhi: Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Friday said the release of journalist Siddique Kappan after 28 months showed that the amended Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) is a “menace.”

In a Twitter post, Tharoor said, “The release of Siddique Kappan after 28 months in jail reminds us that UAPA allows government to detain people indefinitely without charge. It took the Supreme Court to finally reaffirm “bail not jail”. The amended UAPA is a menace to democracy, as I warned when opposing its introdn in Lok Sabha.”

The Kerala journalist was granted bail on February 2. He came out of the jail after 2 years he was arrested allegedly for trying to instigate violence after the death of a woman in Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras.

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The Congress leader further added that Kappan was given only Hindi books despite poinitng out that the latter cannot read the language. Tharoor added that the jailed journalist was denied books in Malayalam and English, which were the languages he knew.

“In the land of Mahatma Gandhi, is this the level of our humanity?” asked Tharoor.

The release of SiddiqueKappan after 28 months in jail reminds us that UAPA allows Govt to detain people indefinitely without charge. It took the SupremeCourt to finally reaffirm"bail not jail". The amended UAPA is a menace to democracy, as I warned when opposing its introdn in LS

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) February 3, 2023

Two Pens and one notepad: Siddique on alleged objectionable materials were found on him 

Siddique has submitted two sureties of Rs 1 lakh each on Wednesday in the special PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) court in Uttar Pradesh’s Lucknow.

After coming out of the Lucknow district jail, Kappan talked to the mediapersons and said, “It has been 28 months. I am out after a lot of fight. I am happy.” The journalist told that his purpose to visit Hathras was “reporting” and he was accompanied by a few students.

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Answering to the media about the recoveries made from him, he said, “Nothing…I had only a laptop and mobile.” He was asked about the objectional metrials seized from him, to which he answered that he had only two pens and a notepad.

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