Karnataka Police Serves Notice To Noida YouTuber For Video On Rahul Gandhi

The video in question is titled "Rahul trying Hard To Fuel Fire, Naseer Wants Modi in Skull Cap" and references Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

Ajeet Bharti, a Noida-based YouTuber, has been issued a notice by the Karnataka Police to join an investigation regarding a video he posted, which allegedly promotes enmity and hatred between communities. The video in question is titled "Rahul trying Hard To Fuel Fire, Naseer Wants Modi in Skull Cap" and references Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

The notice was issued following a complaint by Advocate B. K. Bopanna, Secretary of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee Legal Cell. The complaint, lodged at the High Grounds Police Station in Bengaluru on June 15, led to an FIR under IPC sections 153 (promoting enmity between different groups) and 505(2) (statements creating or promoting enmity).

In the video, posted on Bharti’s official X handle on June 13, he claimed that Rahul Gandhi intended to replace the Ram Mandir with the Babri Masjid, a statement that the complainant asserts is a gross misrepresentation and false. "This is a blatant lie and a gross misrepresentation of Gandhi's statements. Rahul Gandhi has never made any such statements in any of his speeches," Bopanna stated in his complaint, as reported by PTI.

Karnataka Police arrived at Bharti’s residence in Noida's Sector 57 around 1 pm on Thursday to serve the notice. "Our team also reached the house soon and the Karnataka Police left after serving the notice. Usually, it's a procedure that any visiting police team informs their local counterparts but that did not happen in this case," a local police officer told, as per the report.

In response to the notice, Bharti said, "The thing is that 2-3 days ago an FIR was filed against me under 153A, 505(2). Today Karnataka police came to my house and they said they have come to give me notice... I informed the local police station and asked them, do you have any information about this."

"I told the local police that I don't think their intentions are right because they had arrested journalists earlier on the pretext of giving notice... Noida police came immediately. They spoke to them. Then they took my signatures on some documents and left... The notice said that within 7 days I have to come to a certain police station in Bengaluru and cooperate in the investigation. The thing is that there is no scope for investigation in the case that has been made... If I don't get relief from the court within 7 days, I will go and join the investigation," he said.