FIR registered against JP Nadda, Amit Malviya, and BY Vijayendra over social media post

NEW DELHI: An FIR has been registered against BJP national president JP Nadda, party's IT cell head Amit Malviya and Karnataka unit chief BY Vijayendra for allegedly intimidating members of the SC and ST community not to vote for a particular candidate, police said.

According to officials, a case under the sections of the Representation of People Act and IPC section 505 (2) (for statements creating or promoting enmity, hatred or ill-will between classes) has been registered against the BJP leaders.

The action comes after a formal complaint lodged by the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) with the Election Commission and Bengaluru police on Sunday alleging a violation of the model code of conduct.

"The said video posted on social media featured animated characters of (Congress leader) Rahul Gandhi and (Chief Minister) Siddaramaiah. In the clip, the SC, ST and OBC communities are portrayed as "eggs" in a nest and it also suggested Rahul Gandhi planting a big egg labelled as the Muslim community. It is projected as though funds are being fed to the chick depicting the Muslim community, which then kicks out SC, ST and OBC communities," Ramesh Babu, the Chairman, media & Communication, KPCC, alleged in a complaint to Bengaluru City Police.

"As such, the intent of posting video by BJP on its official X handle appears to be to seek votes in Lok Sabha Elections by projecting the Congress party to be favouring the Muslim community. However, the act of JP Nadda, National President- of Bharatiya Janata Party, Amit Malviya - National Social Media Incharge of Bharatiya Janata Party, BY Vijayendra-State President-Karnataka BJP and Social Media incharge- of Karnataka BJP is to portray the SC and ST Community in a derogatory manner and the act showing SC and ST community being "kicked by another religion (Muslim) is with an intent to prevent or intimidate a member of Schedule caste or tribe to not vote for a particular candidate attracting offence punishable under Section 3(L)(A) of SC/ST PoA Act 1989. It is clear that the video social media posted by aforesaid persons is to intimidate members of the SC/ST Community not to Vote for the Congress party by projecting that funds reserved for them will be usurped by Muslims," he added.

"The act of the accused person (s) is to wantonly provocate rioting and promote enmity between different religions and is prejudicial to maintenance of harmony apart from intimidating members of the SC/ST community not to vote for a particular candidate and causing enmity against members of SC/ST community," according to the complaint.

Karnataka Congress has filed a complaint to the Election Commission against BJP national president JP Nadda, social media in-charge Amit Malviya, and state chief BY Vijayendra for allegedly posting a video on social media aimed at "intimidating" members of Schedule Caste/ Schedule Tribe to not vote for Congress in the Lok Sabha polls.

In a complaint filed to the Chief Electoral Officer in Bengaluru, the party also alleged the violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) by using animated videos of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah by portraying the Congress party as favouring particular religion (Muslims) and suppressing members of SC/STs and OBC communities, with the intention to create feelings of enmity, hatred and ill-will against members of the SC/ST community.

The complaint, further said, "It is unfathomable as to how the State Level Media Monitoring committee approved this video to be uploaded by BJP. In the event of non-certification, why no action has been initiated for using an animated image/video of Rahul Gandhi and Siddaramaiah and also defaming the SC/ST and OBC community people by projecting them as 'EGG.'"

The Congress in its complaint further claimed that the intent of posting a video by the BJP on its official X handle appears to be to seek votes in Lok Sabha Elections by projecting the Congress party to be favouring the Muslim community.

A day before, the official X handle of BJP Karnataka had posted an animated video with the caption "Beware.. Beware.. Beware..!" in Kannada. The video showed caricatures of Rahul Gandhi and Siddaramaiah placing an egg with "Muslims" written on it in a nest along with three eggs marked as "SC, ST and OBC."

The video further showed the caricature of Rahul Gandhi feeding "funds" only to the bird that hatched out of the "Muslim" egg.