FIR Registered Against Karnataka BJP for Defamatory Post

Bengaluru, Jun 26 (PTI) The Karnataka BJP's social media handle has come under scrutiny as an FIR was registered for an alleged post equating former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi with Adolf Hitler, the police reported on Thursday. The action follows a complaint by S Manohar, General Secretary of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), filed at the High Grounds police station on June 25.

In his complaint, Manohar stated that the contentious post was uploaded on the BJP's official 'X' account (@BJP4Karnataka) at 3:54 pm on Wednesday and was captioned "INDIRA NOT EQUALS INDIA, INDIRA = HITLER". The post was also accompanied by a 38-second video referencing the Emergency period in India. Allegedly, the post, which has since been removed, included a graphic where Indira Gandhi's image was altered to bear resemblance to Hitler.

The complaint contended that the content of the post was defamatory towards the former Prime Minister and seemed intended to incite public unrest and foster enmity among different religious and community groups, according to Manohar. A senior police officer noted, "Based on the received complaint, a case has been registered under sections 192 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot) and 353 (statements conducing to public mischief) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita." Further investigation into the matter is currently underway.