Pakistan-India peace group stands with Ramya’s statement “Pakistan is not hell. People are just like us”
Pakistan India Peoples’ Forum for Peace and Democracy, the region’s largest people-to-people peace group has slammed as “irresponsible” a statement by Indian Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on August 16, 2016, in which he said that “Going to Pakistan is the same as going to hell.”
PIPFPD has also expressed solidarity with Kannada actor-turned-politician Ramya (real name Divya Spandana), an ex-MP from Congress, who referred to Parrikar’s statement when sharing her experience of recently having visited Pakistan to attend a SAARC Young Parliamentarians Conference in Islamabad.
She said, “People there are just like us, and we were treated very well“. As a result of this statement, she finds herself facing a sedition case filed against her under Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code by K. Vittal Gowda, a Coorg- based advocate. The matter is posted for hearing on August 27.
I will not apologise for what I said, have said nothing wrong: Actor Ramya, accused of sedition over Pak comment pic.twitter.com/wJ497b2j2x
— NDTV (@ndtv) August 23, 2016
In a Press Statement of August 23, 2016, PIPFPD notes that the lawyer K.V. Gowda has accused Ramya of insulting India by appreciating Pakistan and provoking Indians. This controversy took a political turn when BJP held a protest against her remark in Karnataka last Sunday.
PIPFPD says that it “condemns such jingoistic acts”. The peace group says, “It is shocking to see that a message promoting peace between Pakistan and India can result in sedition cases against a person. Charges being put against Ramya in this case are baseless and PIPFPD stands with her.”
