Bengaluru police registers FIR against BJP IT Cell chief Amit Malviya over video

PTI, Jun 28, 2023, 2:10 PM IST

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A case has been registered against the BJP IT Cell chief Amit Malviya based on the complaint of a Congress leader who alleged the saffron party leader promoted enmity and instigated people by posting a video on social media, police said on Wednesday.

The complaint was lodged by the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee member Ramesh Babu in connection with a tweet posted by Malviya.

The tweet showed an animated video allegedly depicting Rahul Gandhi and Congress party in poor light. According to the FIR, Malviya tweeted a video with captions, “Rahul Gandhi is dangerous and playing an insidious game” and “More dangerous are people who are pulling strings of #Raga like Sam P, staunchly anti-India, they leave no stone unturned to defame India overseas, just to embarrass Hon’ble PM @Narendramodi ji.”

Malviya has been booked under sections 153(A), 120(B), 505(2) and 34 of the IPC which pertain to promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, and ‘doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony’ and conspiracy.

Soon after the FIR was registered, Malviya reposted the same tweet with a caption in Hindi, “Rahul Gandhi Videshi Taaqaton ka Mohra” (Rahul Gandhi a pawn of foreign forces).

Karnataka IT-BT Minister Priyank Kharge, who had accompanied Babu on June 19 to lodge the complaint, told reporters here today that the BJP cries foul whenever it faces the brunt of law. “They (BJP) have a problem with following the law of the land and they have a problem with the Constitution. And if we enforce the law or the constitution they have a problem with that,” he alleged.

Priyank, who is the son of Congress chief M Mallikarjun Kharge further said: “I would like to ask the BJP, tell me which part of the FIR that has been lodged against Malviya with a malafide intention. Who is the creator of the video? Who is the one spreading the video? Who is getting the video to have enough traction on social media? Who is spreading these lies? I have promised the people of Karnataka that fake news will be reined in.”