Actor, model and director Aisha Sulthana hails from Lakshadweep’s Chetlat island.

According to reports, Lakshadweep police filed a case of sedition against activist and filmmaker Aisha Sultana on Thursday for criticizing the Centre and Patel during a debate on a Malayalam news channel regarding the ongoing political crisis in the Union Territory.

As Sultana wrote on Facebook, “During the TV debate, I used the term bioweapon as justification for my statement.”. Patel and his policies [have been used] against us as biological weapons. Covid-19 spread to Lakshadweep because of Patel and his entourage. The government and the country have not been compared to Patel, but a bioweapon…. You should understand. What else should I call him….”

During the recent campaign against controversial reform measures and proposed legislation, Sultana has been at the forefront, angering the locals.

Aisha Sultana: who is she?

An actress, model, and director, Aisha Sultana is a native of Lakshadweep’s Chetlat island. Her directorial debut was in 2020 with the independent Malayalam film Flush. Previously, she worked as associate director on the Malayalam film “Kettyolaanu Ente Malaakha.”

Aisha Sultana, a film professional, has been at the forefront of campaigns against reforms and proposed legislation that have swept Lakshadweep and Kerala by storm.

As part of its ongoing investigations, the Lakshadweep police have filed a case of sedition against filmmaker and resident Aisha Sultana for calling Patel a “bioweapon.” Sultana was accused of critical remarks about the Centre and Patel in a debate on a Malayalam news channel during an ongoing political crisis in Lakshadweep, according to C Abdul Khader Haji, president of the BJP in Lakshadweep.

“I used the term bioweapon during the TV channel debate,” wrote Sultana in a Facebook post. I have felt Patel as well as his policies [have acted] as a bio-weapon. It was through Patel and his entourage that Covid-19 spread in Lakshadweep. I have compared Patel as a bioweapon, not the government or the country…. You should understand. What else should I call him…”

Explained |Why Lakshadweep Administration proposals have upset its locals Sultana has been at the forefront of the recent campaign against the recently proposed legislation and controversial reform measures that have triggered widespread anger amongst locals.

An actress, model, and director, Aisha Sultana is a native of Lakshadweep’s Chetlat island. Her directorial debut was in 2020 with the independent Malayalam film Flush. Previously, she worked as associate director on the Malayalam film “Kettyolaanu Ente Malaakha.”

Haji claimed that Sultana called Patel a “bio-weapon” that the Central government wielded during a news debate on MediaOne TV. The remarks had sparked protests from the BJP’s Lakshadweep unit. Aisha’s complaints against BJP workers were filed in Kerala as well.

Sahitya Pravarthaka Sangam expressed solidarity with Sultana, condemning her sedition charges. “It does not make sense to depict her as anti-national. She had protested against the inhumane policy of administrator Patel. It was upon his intervention that Lakshadweep became a Covid-affected region,” Bahir’s spokesperson said.

The case against Sultana has since garnered several other political politicians and activists on social media.

According to the police, at the Kavaratti police station on Thursday, an episode involving Sedition (section 124 A) and Hate Speech (section 153 B) was reported.