The Bengaluru police have taken legal action by filing a First Information Report (FIR) against Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and B R Naidu from the Congress social media cell. According to statements from officials, this action follows allegations of their involvement in posting provocative and fake content on social media regarding BJP leaders.

According to police sources cited by PTI, the FIR has been registered at the High Grounds police station in Bengaluru. It has been filed under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including 153(A) for promoting enmity between different groups, 504 for intentional insult and provocation, 506 for criminal intimidation, and 464 for making false documents.

Following a directive from the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) court in Bengaluru in February, the Bengaluru police have taken legal action by registering an FIR. The court issued the directive based on a complaint lodged by Yogendra Hodaghatta, the former secretary of the BJP Legal Cell, prompting the police to initiate an investigation.

The protest against the detention of kar sevak Srikanth Pujari, involved in the 1992 movement to demolish the Babri mosque, was attended by BJP leaders.

The Congress IT Cell stands accused of altering the text on placards carried by BJP protesters, which originally read "I'm also a Kar Sevak, arrest me too." These modified images were then circulated on social media platforms, including the social media account of Karnataka Congress president Shivakumar.

Image source: Deccan Herald