The Karnataka police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) against the Chief of the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) IT Cell Amit Malviya, for allegedly promoting enmity within groups and instigating people through a social media video mocking Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. The BJP has strongly criticized the action, labeling it as “pathetic” and accusing it of attempting to intimidate and silence Malviya.
The FIR against Malviya was filed on the grounds of defamation and incitement against the Congress party and Rahul Gandhi, following a complaint lodged by Ramesh Babu, a member of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee. The complaint specifically referred to a tweet by Malviya, which contained an animated video allegedly disparaging Rahul Gandhi and portraying the Congress party in a negative light.
In response to these developments, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla claimed on Twitter that the FIR against Malviya was a malicious attempt to stifle free speech. Poonawalla suggested that if Rahul Gandhi felt aggrieved by any tweet, he should have pursued a defamation case through the judicial system, rather than resorting to involving the police. Poonawalla further criticized the Congress party's communication and social media capabilities, suggesting that their reliance on state authorities demonstrated their incompetence.
Amit Malviya has been charged under sections 153(A), 120(B), 505(2), and 34 of the Indian Penal Code, which pertain to promoting enmity between different groups based on factors such as religion, race, place of birth, residence, and language, as well as engaging in acts prejudicial to the maintenance of harmony and conspiracy.