New Delhi: An FIR has been lodged at Ranchi for violation of model code of conduct guidelines and legal provisions against BJP's Jharkhand unit for posting false and misleading videos on the ‘BJP 4 Jharkhand’ social media handle against INDIA bloc leaders, sources said on Monday.
The cybercrime police station Ranchi has also written to social media platforms to remove the objectionable posts under Section 69(A) of the IT Act, the sources said.
The Election Commission received a complaint on Sunday from Congress leader Jairam Ramesh regarding false and misleading videos posted by the ‘BJP 4 Jharkhand’ on its official social media handles.
It was alleged that the video with baseless allegations is unduly influencing the voters and dissuading them from voting for any opposition party in the ongoing assembly elections in Jharkhand.
The state goes to polls on November 13 and 20 in two phases. The FIR was lodged on Sunday at the cyber crime police station Ranchi for violation of MCC guidelines and relevant legal provisions, the sources said.
In a memorandum submitted to the poll panel, Ramesh had urged the poll body to issue directives for the immediate takedown of all videos of the advertisement and consequently take urgent action against the BJP and its official Facebook handle for Jharkhand.
The advertisement, which appears to take a dig at Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav by featuring three characters resembling them, shows them being "anti-tribal" and how they now want to seek their votes.
