The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday lodged a complaint with the Election Commission of India (ECI) over a fake audio clip going viral on social media platforms claiming a secret meeting between independent candidate in Dhamnagar byelection and former BJD leader Rajendra Das with Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
The saffron party prayed before the poll body to order registering of FIR against the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) functionaries who the BJP alleges have role behind creation and circulation of the fake video.
In the complaint, the BJP wrote, “A fake and doctored audio clip has been released through social media platforms by the functionaries of BJD about the alleged meeting between the Union Home Minister, Amit Shah and one independent candidate of Dhamnagar assembly constituency Rajendra Kumar Das, a rebel candidate of ruling BJD. The fact of the matter is no such meeting ever took place.”
“This sinister and mischievous attempt, to malign the personal image of Amit Shah and the office of Home Minister of India, by the Biju Janata Dal is reprehensible in every sense. Such an act of the BJD amounts to corrupt practice within the purview of section 123 (4) of the Representation of People Act, 1951,” the BJP said.
In addition, the party has also requested the ECI to register a cybercrime case under sections 66(d) of Information Technology Act 2000 which proposes stringent action against false, misleading, fake and frivolous propaganda under Sections 415 & 120 of Indian Penal Code.
The BJP also requested the Commission to take immediate and deterrent action against the perpetrators of this crime and order filing an immediate FIR against the Biju Janata Dal functionaries and take all other possible preventive and punitive action.