20, Jan 2019 | Bella Jaisinghani

MUMBAI: Fake news on social media was the focus of discussion at a seminar organised in Bandra on Saturday.

Social media influencers, lawyers, human rights activists and leftists known to speak out against the policies of the Modi-led BJP government gathered at the ‘Netizens for Democracy’ symposium organised by the NGO Citizens for Justice & Peace. Among the speakers were Supreme Court lawyer Prashant Bhushan, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, actor Nandita Das, activist Teesta Setalvad and journalist Rajdeep Sardesai.

Sardesai alleged that the “once-divisive ideology” of politicians like Bal Thackeray had now become “commonplace” owing to the rise of the right wing.

JNU student activist Umar Khalid said that “his feet had quaked in fear” when he learnt that he was charged with sedition last week. “I do not have any strength alone. It is the collective support of JNU and ordinary Indians that has helped me fight my entire legal battle without spending a penny,” he said. Khalid, Kanhaiya Kumar and others were recently charged with sedition by Delhi police for allegedly shouting anti-India slogans at a JNU event in February 2016.

Others like Arfa Khanum Sherwani, Abhisar Sharma, Gurmeher Kaur, Sanjukta Basu and Preeti Sharma Menon related stories of alleged harassment and abuse by trolls

The original article may be read here.