Dinesh Trivedi defies Mamata over cartoon issue

Kutch (Gujarat), Apr 15 (ANI): Reacting to the arrest of a Jadavpur University professor in Kolkata for posting a cartoon of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on the internet, former Railways Minister and TMC leader Dinesh Trivedi today said cartoons were meant for enjoyment.

"When I saw it, the cartoon you are talking about, for the first timer because somebody had informed me, I really laughed over it. The objective of a cartoon to convey a message and for few minutes you enjoy it and accept it. If a cartoon is not vulgar, if a cartoon doesn't hurt the religious sentiments then a cartoon remains a cartoon," Trivedi told media here.

Mahapatra was assaulted on April 12 for forwarding anti-Mamata Banerjee cartoons via email to about 65 people.

The chemistry professor at the prestigious Jadavpur University was arrested by the police late on Thursday night and produced in an Alipore court.

According to reports, he was released on bail, but only after a written statement - which the professor said he was forced to write - that he was an active member of the CPM.

The professor was arrested on charges of eve-teasing (Section 509 of the IPC), defamation (Section 500 of the IPC), humiliating a woman (Section 114 of the IPC) and causing offence using a computer (Section 66 A (b) of the IT Act).

The arrest of Prof Mahapatra has been widely discussed in the media all over the country (ANI)