FIR Lodged Against Jharkhand BJP For 'False And Misleading' Videos On Social Media

The Election Commission had received a complaint on Sunday from Congress leader Jairam Ramesh regarding false and misleading videos posted by the ‘BJP 4 Jharkhand’ on its official social media handles

The Congress had written to the EC alleging that a video that made "baseless" allegations was posted by the BJP’s Jharkhand unit.

Source : PTI

The Ranchi Police have lodged an FIR for violation of model code of conduct guidelines and legal provisions against BJP's Jharkhand unit for posting false and misleading videos on its social media handle.

The cybercrime police station Ranchi has also written to social media platform for removing the objectionable posts under Section 69(A) of the IT Act, news agency PTI said quoting sources. 

The Election Commission had received a complaint on Sunday from Congress leader Jairam Ramesh regarding false and misleading videos posted by the ‘BJP 4 Jharkhand’ on its official social media handles. 

The party alleged that the video with baseless allegations is unduly influencing the voters and dissuading them to vote for any opposition party in the ongoing assembly elections in Jharkhand. 

The voting will be done in Jharkhand in two phases-- November 13 and 20. The FIR was lodged on Sunday at the cyber crime police station Ranchi for violation of MCC guidelines and relevant legal provisions, the report said. 

In a memorandum submitted to the EC, Ramesh had urged the poll body to issue directives for the immediate takedown of all videos of the advertisement and consequently take urgent action against the BJP and its official Facebook handle for Jharkhand.

The advertisement in question appears to take a dig at Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav by featuring three characters resembling them, shows them being anti-tribal and how they now want to seek their votes. 

The complaint comes ahead of the first phase of polling in 43 of the total 81 assembly seats in the state on November 13. The elections to the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly is taking place in two phases, with counting of votes to take place on November 23. As many as 1,211 candidates are in the fray for the 81 assembly seats after completion of nomination withdrawal exercises for both phases of the election.