Misleading Ads targeting opposition lead to FIR against BJP leaders in Jharkhand
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As Jharkhand approaches its assembly elections, a complaint has been lodged against the state's BJP unit over a social media post that Congress claims is misleading and defamatory.
The complaint was formally filed by Congress leader Jairam Ramesh with the Election Commission of India (ECI), prompting the registration of an FIR at the cybercrime police station in Ranchi on Sunday, November 10.
The complaint revolves around a social media post from the official BJP Jharkhand page, which Congress alleges contains false information aimed at dissuading voters from supporting opposition candidates. The BJP has been accused of using a misleading advertisement to manipulate voter sentiment, with the post pinned on the @BJP4Jharkhand handle.
The contentious video post, which is described as communal in nature, portrays key opposition leaders in a negative light. It features characters resembling Rahul Gandhi of Congress, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Kalpana Soren of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, and Tejashwi Yadav of the Rashtriya Janata Dal, who are depicted as “anti-tribal” and corrupt.
The video suggests that these leaders are manipulating voters by pretending to care about the interests of Jharkhand’s tribal population.
The video, which begins with a conversation between characters portraying Hemant and Kalpana Soren, then shifts to characters representing Gandhi and Yadav, featuring an inflammatory reference to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's alleged actions against Jharkhand revolutionaries. Hemant Soren’s character is also shown making disparaging remarks about seeking Muslim votes.
This post is said to be a part of a broader BJP campaign strategy that has focused on portraying the sizable Adivasi population in the state as being at odds with alleged "infiltrators" from Bangladesh. The BJP has reportedly used similar tactics to target opposition figures in the run-up to the two-phase elections scheduled for November 13 and 20.
Congress has strongly condemned the video, claiming it violates the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) and other legal provisions. In response to the complaint, the cybercrime police station in Ranchi has reached out to the social media platform to request the removal of the content under Section 69(A) of the Information Technology Act.
Ramesh has urged the ECI to take swift action, calling for the immediate removal of all versions of the video. He emphasized that the content could potentially influence the election outcome unfairly and urged the ECI to hold BJP’s social media accounts accountable for the breach.