New Delhi: The Congress party on Monday informed that an FIR has been registered against BJP MPs Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore and Subrat Pathak on its complaint related to a fake video of Rahul Gandhi, allegedly aimed at disturbing communal harmony. The FIR against the MPs and three others was lodged in Chhattisgarh's Bilaspur, chief of the party's media and publicity team Pawan Khera said. This comes after Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh wrote to BJP president JP Nadda demanding action against Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore and Subrat Pathak for spreading fake news against Rahul Gandhi.
Jairam Ramesh also sought for the doctored video to be removed from the BJP MPs' Twitter timelines.
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As per the Congress party's social media in-charge Supriya Shrinate, the Congress has also lodged complaints against them in Delhi, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, news agency PTI reported.
Supriya Shrinate accused Rathore of sedition. "If an attempt is made by a former Union minister to spread fake news with the intention of disturbing communal harmony in the country, it amounts to sedition," she alleged.
"Why are these people spreading this fire of hate all over the country? We ask the prime minister why he has converted MPs and former ministers to 'two-rupee trolls'. The problem is those who peddle fake news get promotions in the BJP. Everyone knows what the current I&B minister said during Delhi riots and he was promoted," she said, as quoted by PTI.
The Congress leader stressed that the Prime Minister spoke for nearly half an hour at Hyderabad but did not make a single appeal for peace.
Row Over Rahul Gandhi's Video
The controversy around Rahul Gandhi's video pertains to his recent statement made during his recent visit to his Lok Sabha constituency Wayanad. He described those who attacked and vandalised his MP office there as children, saying he had no ill-will against them.
As per the Congress, the video was "mischievously" used by a channel to suggest he was forgiving the killers of Udaipur tailor Kanhaiya Lal.
Sharing the contentious video earlier, former union minister Rajyavardhan Rathore wrote: "Be it Udaipur or Wayanad, the character of Congress which stands with 'Afzal Hum Sharminda Hain (Afzal we are ashamed)' and 'Bharat Tere Tukde Honge (India you will be broken into pieces)' gang in JNU remains the same. Who sowed the seed of the poison of jihadi terror, who watered it, think for yourself."
The tweet has been flagged as media "presented out of context".
A TV channel, which ran the statement out of context, has issued a public apology in the matter.
BJP Found To Have Links With Terrorists, Alleges Congress
The Congress social media in charge warned the BJP against attempting to "link Rahul Gandhi and other party leaders with terrorists".
"You will have to face consequences of maligning our leader," she said.
"Peddling fake news on social media is one thing but using social media in cahoots with terrorists will not be accepted. At such a sensitive time in the country, how can they dare to spread a fake video involving Rahul Gandhi. Apart from fake news, this is also a conspiracy because even if Twitter posts are deleted, WhatsApp messages would remain in circulation and disturb peace," Shrinate stressed.
Meanwhile, Pawan Khera alleged that the BJP has been found to have links with terrorists, stating that terrorist Talib Shah, who was caught in Kashmir on Sunday, "has been found to be a member of the BJP minority cell in the state." Riaz Attari, prime accused in the killing of the Udaipur tailor, was also a BJP member, he claimed.
"We showed you photos of how the BJP Udaipur chief inducted Attari as a member in November 2019. What more evidence does anyone need?" he asked, as per PTI.
(With Agency Inputs)