Election Commission directs X to take down Karnataka BJP’s communal tweet on Muslim quota

The EC said the CEO Karnataka registered an FIR in this connection at the Malleshwaram Police Station and wrote to ‘X’ on 5 May to take down the objectionable post as per the provisions of the Information Technology Act and the IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021.

“However, the post has not been taken down yet. Therefore, ‘X’ is directed to take down the post immediately,” the EC said.

The Karnataka CEO office had written to the EC on 5 May, asking the poll panel to instruct X to take down the post in question.

The Cybercrime Division and Cybercrime Police Station (CID Headquarters) of the Government of Karnataka dispatched a notice to the Legal Manager of X Corp in San Francisco on 5 May, instructing the removal of the content.

When asked whether the EC has sent a notice specifically to the BJP Karnataka unit to take down the controversial post, Karnataka CEO Manoj Kumar Meena told South First, “Designated officer Karnataka passed order under IT act and sent to ‘X’ to take down (the post).”

When asked further whether any action was being taken against the BJP state unit for not removing the post, the CEO said, “Cases already booked by us against state president and handle of X”.

Also Read: BJP Karnataka’s ‘brazenly communal’ post raises questions over ECI’s conduct

‘Promotes enmity, hatred among communities’

The Election Commission issued the fresh directive to ‘X’ on the day when voters were casting their ballots in the remaining 14 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka.

Polling in the other 14 parliamentary constituencies of Karnataka was held on 26 April.

The Karnataka Congress had filed a complaint with the Chief Electoral Officer of the state, accusing the BJP of promoting enmity and hatred between the Muslim and the SC/ST communities.

“In order to seek votes by portraying Congress party as Anti-SC/ST and OBC Community … Social Media in charge – Karnataka BJP have by video representation have promoted feelings of enmity, hatred and ill-will against members of SC/ST community attracting offences punishable under section 3(u) of SC/ST POA Act 1989,” it said.

The complaint pertains to an animated video shared by the Karnataka BJP on 4 May, which has caricatures of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

Also Read: Cong files complaint against BJP over ‘communal’ animation depicting Rahul, K’taka CM

FIR registered 

The post on X is titled, Beware…Beware…Beware…! It shows a bird’s nest with three small eggs labelled “Scheduled Castes” (SC), “Scheduled Tribes” (SC), and “OBCs”.

It then shows two men, purportedly animated versions of Rahul Gandhi and Siddaramaiah, walking in and dropping a big egg, labelled “Muslim”.

When the egg hatches, the chick with a skullcap is bigger than the rest, and Rahul feeds it with a box of “funds”, indicating favouritism towards a community.

The chick grows and with its wings, pushes the other nestlings out while the Congress leaders guffaw.

An FIR was registered against BJP president JP Nadda, the party’s IT cell head Amit Malviya and Karnataka unit chief BY Vijayendra in connection with a social media post.

They were booked under the sections of Representation of People Act and section 505 (2) (Statements creating or promoting enmity, hatred or ill-will between classes) of the Indian Penal Code, a senior police officer said.

(Edited by Shauqueen Mizaj)