New Delhi, December 15: Hours after actress Payal Rohatgi was held by the Rajasthan Police for her objectionable video against the Nehru-Gandhi family, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor voiced his dissent against her arrest. Condemning the police action on social media, Tharoor suggested that Rohatgi's arrest is violative of Freedom of Expression as enshrined in the Constitution. Payal Rohatgi 'Arrested' by Rajasthan Police For Making Objectionable Video on Motilal Nehru, Former Big Boss Contestant Says 'Information Was Taken From Google'.

Tharoor, while noting that her video against Motilal Nehru, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi were "tasteless and false", said that Indian democracy allows her the space to air her views irrespective of how "stupid" they are.

The lawmaker from Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram further pitched for the release of Rohatgi, claiming that the Rajasthan Police should uphold the "Freedom of Expression". The decision to arrest her, said Tharoor, is "unwise".

See Shashi Tharoor's Tweet

"There’s little doubt that the comments of @Payal_Rohatgi were tasteless &false, typical Sanghi drivel circulated on @whatsapp. But to arrest her is unwise: upholding freedom of expression means allowing her to say stupid things w’out police getting involved. She shd be released (sic)," Tharoor said.

Rohatgi was arrested on Sunday morning by a team of Rajasthan police from hr Ahmedabad-based residence. The case against her was registered on October 10, after her video against the Nehru-Gandhi family was found to be defamatory, outraging the modesty of women and spreading religious hatred.

The objectionable video was uploaded by Rohatgi on her Twitter, Instagram and Facebook accounts on September 6 and September 21. She was issued multiple summons by the police, but her non-cooperative approach led to her arrest, an official said. After being taken into custody, a tweet issued on her Twitter account said the information related to Nehru-Gandhi family, as conveyed by Rohatgi through the objectionable video, was sourced by her from "Google".

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 15, 2019 06:27 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).