BENGALURU, May 8:
In a significant development, Bengaluru Police has summoned BJP president JP Nadda and the party’s IT cell head Amit Malviya concerning a contentious social media post believed to intimidate members of the Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities against voting for a specific candidate, officials disclosed on Wednesday.
Both Nadda and Malviya have been directed to participate in the investigation at the High Grounds police station in Bengaluru.
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“Regarding this case, you are hereby summoned to appear before the designated investigating officer at 11 am at the High Grounds police station within seven days of receiving this notice,” the summons stated.
The move follows the filing of a First Information Report (FIR) against Nadda, Malviya, and BJP’s Karnataka unit chief Vijayendra Yediyurappa following a complaint lodged by the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) with the Election Commission and local police on May 5, alleging violations of the model code of conduct.
According to a senior police official, they face charges under sections of the Representation of People Act and section 505 (2) (Statements creating or promoting enmity, hatred, or ill-will between classes) of the Indian Penal Code.
In its complaint, the KPCC highlighted a video uploaded on the social media platform ‘X’ by the official account of Karnataka State BJP, purportedly operated by Malviya.
The video, allegedly uploaded on instructions from Nadda and Vijayendra, depicted animated characters of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. It portrayed the SC, ST, and OBC communities as “eggs” in a nest, suggesting Rahul Gandhi planted a big egg labeled as the Muslim community. The video insinuated that funds were being diverted to the Muslim community at the expense of the SC, ST, and OBC communities.
“The act of the accused persons is to provoke rioting and promote enmity between different religions and is prejudicial to the maintenance of harmony, apart from intimidating members of SC/ST communities not to vote for a particular candidate and causing enmity against members of SC/ST communities,” the complaint alleged.
This development has sparked widespread debate, with political analysts and civil society groups calling for a thorough investigation into the matter to uphold the sanctity of the electoral process and ensure the fair and free expression of democratic rights for all citizens. (UNI)
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