Defeated Jakarta governor jailed two years for blasphemy

Jakarta

A YEAR ago, Jakarta's governor Basuki Purnama was riding high in the polls, a shoo-in for re-election and a close ally of his mentor President Joko Widodo.

Now, he is behind bars following a ruling that damages the country's record for religious tolerance, upends the administration's reform agenda and sets the stage for a drawn-out campaign for president at the elections in two years.