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Karnataka Congress files police complaint against BJP leaders over malicious content on Rahul
The Karnataka Congress on Monday filed a complaint against BJP leaders in Bengaluru for allegedly disseminating “malicious, false content” against the state’s ruling party and its senior leaders
The Karnataka Congress on Monday filed a complaint against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, including its national president JP Nadda, in Bengaluru for allegedly disseminating “malicious, false and incendiary content” against the state’s ruling party and its senior leaders.
Karnataka IT & BT minister Priyank Kharge, who is also the chairman of KPCC communication and social media wing, along with its co-chairman Ramesh Babu, lodged a police complaint against Nadda, BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya and party’s Chandigarh unit chief Arun Sood at the High Grounds police station in Bengaluru.
In the complaint, the Congress has alleged that the BJP leaders were spreading misinformation with the “intention to promote enmity between groups and incite as well as provoke its viewers”.
The Congress leaders also furnished copies of a video shared by BJP leaders targeting the party and its leader Rahul Gandhi.
“In the video shared by Malviya, Rahul Gandhi has been made a target of a malicious and false 3D animated video, endorsed by the BJP’s key leaders such as Malviya, Nadda, and Arun Sood,” the complaint said. “The video was circulated on 17/06/2023 on Malviya’s Twitter handle, with a clear and malicious intent of not only tarnishing Gandhi’s and Congress’s reputation, but to instigate communal discord, and misrepresent the party and its leaders’ persona.”
Kharge and Babu, in their complaint, accused the BJP leaders of depicting Gandhi as having “anti-national objective aimed to deter India’s ascension as a global economic power house” by presenting a “foreign voice-over”.
“It is pertinent to mention that the video employs mimicry to misrepresent Rahul Gandhi and the Congress’s views and projects the party as well as the leaders as an anti-national element. It features altered versions of Rahul Gandhi’s speeches, propagating false narratives,” the complaint said. “The animated video is created with the undeniable intention of promoting enmity in the society and to sow discord among the people.”
Sharing the animated video on Twitter on June 17, Malviya had said, “Rahul Gandhi is dangerous and playing an insidious game…”
Replying to Malviya’s tweet, Sood had said: “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.”
The Congress alleged that Sood’s tweet demonstrates the malicious and criminal intention in creating and publishing this animated video. “The animated video is created and published at the behest of Amit Malviya, Arun Sood, BJP state president in Chandigarh, and BJP national president JP Nadda who are all implicated in this criminal act,” the complaint said. “The video serves as an audacious attempt to defame Gandhi and create discord among the populace for their political gain.”
The Congress urged the police to take cognisance of the offences and sought appropriate action under the full extent of law.
“Considering the severity of these offences, it is crucial that an FIR [first information report] is registered immediately for offences punishable under sections 505(2) [making, publishing or circulating any statement, rumour or report promoting enmity, hatred or ill will between classes], 153(A) [promoting enmity on the grounds of religion, race, language, etc], 120(B) [criminal conspiracy] and 34 [criminal act done by several persons in furtherance of common intention] of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) as well as other provisions of law,” the Congress added in its complaint.
After lodging the complaint, Kharge told reporters, “The BJP doesn’t like that we are working for the welfare of the poor. They are making false accusations like this. That’s why we have filed a complaint. I dare them to come to Karnataka and justify the accusations they are making against us. Let them put sedition charges, we’ll see under what section they do it.”
BJP general secretary and MLC N Ravikumar, however, backed his party leaders saying they have only stated the “truth”.
“He (Rahul Gandhi) is a leader of the Opposition party in the country. I agree with Nadda ji, Amit Malviya and Sood. They have only stated the truth. If there is something wrong in what they have said, let Congress prove it,” Ravikumar said.
He also accused Rahul Gandhi of speaking against the country on foreign soil.
“When Rahul Gandhi visited other countries, he spoke against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the government. He can talk against them in India. What is the use of speaking against the PM and the government in other countries?” he said. “We don’t talk about Sonia Gandhi or Rajiv Gandhi or Narasimha Rao in other countries, do we? Instead of talking about India’s achievements and growth, Rahul Gandhi talks against us. Where is his love for the country? While trying to condemn our PM, he is condemning our country.”
