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‘Men from Karnataka Police…’: YouTuber Ajeet Bharti served notice for remarks on Rahul Gandhi
Bharti, who is based in Noida, has been asked to appear at Bengaluru's High Grounds police station within seven days of receiving the notice.
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YouTuber Ajeet Bharti said on Thursday that men ‘claiming to be from Karnataka Police’ came to serve him notice in connection with the case lodged against him in Bengaluru, the capital of Congress-ruled Karnataka, for his recent remarks on Rahul Gandhi, the former president of the grand old party.
“At around 2 pm, three people who told me they were with Karnataka Police, arrived at my house to give me notice. I asked them if they informed Noida Police. In turn, they enquired about the local police station,” Bharti posted on X (formerly Twitter).
“I immediately informed a local police official. Soon, two Uttar Pradesh Police cars arrived, and took the three men from Bengaluru with them. I thank Noida Police for their prompt action,” the Noida-based YouTuber added.
According to HT's sister publication Live Hindustan, the men were not in uniform when they reached Bharti's residence. However, before being taken by Noida Police, they served him the notice, in which he has been asked to appear at Bengaluru's High Grounds police station within seven days of the notice being served.
The FIR was registered on a complaint lodged on Saturday at the High Grounds police station by BK Bopanna, the legal cell secretary of the Congress party in Karnataka. Bopanna alleged that Bharti, in a video posted on X recently, stated that Rahul Gandhi was planning to rebuild the Babri Masjid in place of the newly-opened Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.
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The YouTuber's remarks amount to ‘hate speech’ and ‘could harm public peace and harmony,’ Bopanna alleged in his complaint, demanding legal action against Bharti. The latter was subsequently booked under sections 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on ground of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc.) and 505 (2) (statements creating or promoting enmity, hatred or ill-will between classes) of the Indian Penal Code.
