On Wednesday, the Congress government in Karnataka filed an FIR against BJP IT Cell chief Amit Malviya for tweeting out his criticism against former Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and his regular calls for foreign interference in India’s internal affairs.
The FIR has been filed under sections 153A (promoting enmity between different groups), 120b (criminal conspiracy), 505(2) (promoting enmity, hatred or ill-will between classes) and 34 (criminal conduct in pursuit of a common intention) of the Indian Penal Code in Bengaluru’s High Grounds Police Station based on the complaint filed by Congress’s Ramesh Babu.
Hilariously, for criticism posted by Amit Malviya, the Congress government has booked him for ‘promoting enmity between groups’ and ‘promoting hatred between classes’. One has to wonder if Congress believes Rahul Gandhi is a ‘group’ or a ‘class’ unto himself and that any criticism of him deserves to be booked under such stringent laws. Interestingly, the Congress party has been pretending to fight for freedom of the press, speech and expression recently while shutting down criticism against their leader.
Karnataka | FIR filed against BJP IT Cell chief Amit Malviya under sections 153A 120b 505(2), 34 of IPC in Bengaluru's High Grounds PS for his tweet against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, following complaint from Congress's Ramesh Babu
— ANI (@ANI) June 28, 2023
Malviya is said to be booked for allegedly posting a caricature video on Congress’s Rahul Gandhi. “Rahul Gandhi is dangerous and playing an insidious game,” the tweet posted by the BJP IT Cell Chief on June 17 read.
The video indicated that Rahul Gandhi was utilizing the International media to break India and downgrade its economic growth ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The video stated that Gandhi is trying to divide India by spreading the ‘minority hate narrative’ within the country and is using international media platforms to defame Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the global stage.
Rahul Gandhi is dangerous and playing an insidious game… pic.twitter.com/wYuZijUFAu
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) June 17, 2023
The 2:28 minute reel looked like a compilation of various anti-Modi, anti-India and anti-Hindu statements delivered by Rahul Gandhi on the global stage. He had refused to call India a ‘country’ and had said that India is a union of states. He also mocked the Hindu culture on the global platform during the inauguration of the New Parliament Building in India.
Rahul Gandhi recently visited the USA days ahead of PM Modi’s scheduled visit to the states and defamed PM Modi-led government and also mocked the Hindu culture. Addressing a gathering of Congress supporters in San Francisco, Gandhi had said that PM Modi was ignoring real issues and was busy inaugurating the New Parliament Building. He also mocked the pranaam that PM Modi had done to the Sengol, which holds great significance in the Hindu culture.
On several occasions in the past, Gandhi has also claimed on global platforms that the Indian democracy is in treat under the regime of PM Modi and that the ideas of a free press, the judiciary, just the idea of mobilisation, moving around all were getting constrained. He has kept on claiming that India is not a safe place for minorities and that they are ‘persecuted’ in the country.
In March this year, he delivered a presentation at Cambridge University and lied saying that the Israeli spyware Pegasus was being used to monitor his phone by the Indian government. He launched one of his usual attacks on the Modi government and said that it was undermining the democracy of India.
Notably, on April 11, Gandhi was disqualified from his position as a Member of Parliament after his conviction in a defamation case. He was disqualified in accordance with Article 102(1)(e) of the Indian Constitution read with Section 8 of the Representation of People Act, 1951.
Reportedly, the Congress party has several times in the past alleged that there is no freedom of speech inside or outside the Parliament. It had alleged that the Modi-government arrests those who speak against the BJP-led government. However, today it has filed a complaint against the BJP which also has the right and freedom to express and to speech.
