FIR against BJP’s Jharkhand unit over ‘false, misleading’ post

New Delhi: An FIR has been filed against the BJP’s Jharkhand unit for allegedly posting false and misleading videos on its official social media handle, ‘BJP 4 Jharkhand,’ targeting leaders of the INDIA bloc. The complaint, lodged at the cybercrime police station in Ranchi, cites violations of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) and legal provisions, sources said on Monday.

According to sources, the Election Commission (EC) received a complaint from Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Sunday, alleging that the videos were intended to unduly influence voters during the ongoing Assembly elections in Jharkhand.

The videos reportedly feature caricatures of Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, and RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav, accusing them of being “anti-tribal” while seeking tribal votes.

The cybercrime police station has written to the concerned social media platform, seeking the removal of the objectionable content under Section 69(A) of the IT Act.

The state is set to vote in two phases on November 13 and 20.

In his memorandum to the EC, Ramesh urged immediate action against the BJP’s social media accounts, demanding the removal of all misleading content.

Election officials are yet to comment on further steps.