Shocked by Kerala's move against 'offensive' social media posts: Chidambaram

New Delhi: Senior Congress leader and former Union Home Minister P Chidambaram said that he was "shocked" by the Kerala government's move to issue an ordinance to ensure stringent punishment for those found guilty of offensive social media posts.

"Shocked by the law made by the LDF government in Kerala, making so-called offensive posts on the social media punishable with 5 years in prison," he tweeted.

Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan has given nod to the ordinance to amend the Kerala Police Act to provide for jail term for social media posts deemed offensive or threatening.

Section 118A incorporated in the Act says that anyone creating or sending offensive message or that which is intended to offend or threaten another person, through any means of communication, is liable to face imprisonment of five years or fine of Rs 10,000 or both.

Chidambaram also lashed out at the LDF government and said: "Also shocked by the attempt to implicate Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala in a case where the investigation agency had filed a closure report four times."

"How will my friend Sitaram Yechury and CPI-M defend these atrocious decisions?" he added.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had okayed the investigations against Chennithala in the bar scam case of 2015.