Kharge Jr drags Nadda, Malviya to police over Rahul Gandhi video

Karnataka Minister for Information Technology and Biotechnology Priyank Kharge on Monday lodged a complaint against Bharatiya Janata Party national president J P Nadda, BJP's IT cell chief Amit Malviya and BJP Chandigarh president Arun Sood for malicious posts against Rahul Gandhi, particularly an animated video that allegedly features altered versions of the Congress leader's speeches.

“In the video shared by Amit Malviya, Rahul Gandhi has been made a target of a malicious and false 3D animated video, endorsed by the BJP's key leaders such as JP Nadda and Arun Sood,” Kharge alleged.

“The video was circulated on June 17, 2023, on Malviya's Twitter handle with a clear and malicious intent of not only tarnishing (Rahul) Gandhi's and INC's reputation but (also) to instigate communal discord and misrepresent the party and its leaders' persona,” he added.

Kharge charged that the video projects the Congress and its leaders as "anti-national elements".

The video features altered versions of Rahul Gandhi's speeches and propagates false narratives, the minister stated in his complaint.

The worrisome aspect of the video, Kharge said, is the animated misrepresentation of Rahul Gandhi's interaction with people of the Islamic faith.

“The derogatory portrayal will undoubtedly create hatred between people of different religions and propagate communal disharmony,” the minister said.

The video in question was shared by Malviya on June 17 on his Twitter handle with the caption, ’Rahul Gandhi is dangerous and playing an insidious game.”

Malviya reposted the same video the next day with Hindi subtitles.

Kharge, who also heads the Karnataka unit of Congress's communication department, in his complaint to the High Grounds police station in Bengaluru, alleged that the three leaders were promoting enmity between groups and spreading hatred in society.

The minister said his complaint was against the ”grave and illegal offences committed against the Indian National Congress and its senior leaders with the intention to incite enmity and hatred in the society by notable members of the Bharatiya Janata Party”.