On 15th June, an FIR was registered against journalist Ajeet Bharti at High Grounds Police Station in Bengaluru based on the complaint of one BK Bopanna, lawyer and secretary of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee’s legal cell claiming that Bharti falsely claimed that Rahul Gandhi intended to restore the Babri Masjid in place of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.
The FIR has been registered under Sections 153A and 505(2) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The FIR comes after an FIR was registered against X user Befittingfacts over flimsy grounds.
#Breaking: An FIR has been registered against Ajeet Bharti in Bengaluru for spreading fake communal propaganda using the name of Rahul Gandhi Ji under sections 153A and 505 (2) of IPC 1860.
— Shantanu (@shaandelhite) June 16, 2024
Today more FIRs will be done in Telangana and other states. pic.twitter.com/svGaIE3RPm
In his complaint, Bopanna accused Bharti of making false claims against Rahul Gandhi in a video. He claimed that Bharti’s statement spread false information with the “intent to provoke dissent and hatred among various religious groups” and was aimed to “disturb public peace and incite disorder”. He further claimed that Bharti’s behaviour promoted public mischief and incited communities against each other “sowing seeds of discord and hatred among various religious communities” that would lead to disruption of peace and harmony in the society.
Alt News’ Zubair’s role in targeting Ajeet Bharti
It has to be noted that it was Alt News’ Mohammed Zubair who first targetted Ajeet Bharti over the video. Zubair, who is known for sharing trimmed videos to set a narrative, shared a small 40-seconds clips of Ajeet Bharti trimmed from a long video. While sharing the video, Zubair wrote, “When did Rahul Gandhi say in any of his speeches that Ram Mandir will be removed and he would bring back Babri Masjid? They repeatedly spread disinformation because they know they are protected by BJP and the opposition will not take any action against them.”
When did Rahul Gandhi say in any of his speeches that Ram Mandir will be removed and he would bring back Babri Masjid?
— Mohammed Zubair (@zoo_bear) June 15, 2024
They repeatedly spread disinformation because they know they are protected by BJP and the opposition will not take any action against them. pic.twitter.com/TzSgaVlONs
The truth behind Ajeet Bharti’s statement on Rahul Gandhi
The video here is part of a Live Session that Ajeet Bharti had on 14th June. In the session, he was referring to a latest interview of actor Naseeruddin Shah. 10 minutes into the session, this particular portion appears.
Bharti said, “He talked a bit about his childhood, saying that he, too, was targeted for being Muslim and that he used to target others as well. So, it’s not like it wasn’t happening in the country. Many people wondered how Gulfaam Hassan had a change of heart, but where he was trying to lead was, and if you are a good speaker, you can twist the narrative and lead it in a certain direction. He was trying to say that there was an undercurrent, it was beneath the surface. But when Modi came, he saw potential in it and utilized it in his favor. Even if we accept for a minute that Modi utilized it, show me a speech where Modi is saying to remove the police for 15 minutes and we will show what Hindus can do, or Modi is taking the name of a specific community and saying that we will demolish all their religious sites because our temples were there first. Modi has never made such statements to date. Some BJP leaders might have made such statements, but some top leaders of other parties have given such speeches. Rahul Gandhi has claimed that we will remove the Ram Temple and bring back Babri. It is clearly stated that there is a conspiracy to label Hindus as terrorists. Earlier, the terrorism that was happening was not attributed to any religion, but when it comes to saffron terror, it is being pushed forward.”
It is evident from the video that Ajeet never said Rahul Gandhi said so in a speech or a rally. What Ajeet was saying was said first by former Congress leader Acharya Pramod Krishnam had said in a statement. On 6th May, it was reported that Acharya Pramod had said in a statement that Rahul Gandhi wanted to voerturn Ram Mandir verdict. He had said, “I have spent more than 32 years in the Congress and when the Ram Mandir decision came, Rahul Gandhi in a meeting with his close aides said that after the Congress govt was formed, they will form a superpower commission and will overturn the Ram Mandir decision just like Rajiv Gandhi overturned the Shah Bano decision…”
Bharti, who was just paraphrasing what a former Congress leader had said is now facing action in Karnataka, which is currently being ruled by Congress.
Interestingly, it appears that Congress party has come out in offensive mode and using state machinary to settle score with prominent right-wing voices. Earlier, an FIR has been filed against an X user for posting a picture claiming Congress leader KC Venugopal was consuming alcohol at a restaurant. In its complaint, Congress identified Shashank Singh as the person responsible for spreading what it said was fake news. “Shashank Singh not only posted a false caption with the picture but also tagged the Kerala Police, urging them to take action against Shri KC Venugopal Ji,” it stated.“This is a serious accusation, particularly given that Shri KC Venugopal Ji is a highly respected leader of the Indian National Congress and represents hundreds of thousands of Indian citizens in Parliament,” the complaint stated.
