The Delhi Police on Monday summoned Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy on May 1 in a case pertaining to an alleged manipulated video of Amit Shah's speech that was posted by Telangana Congress on social media platforms.
According to reports, Delhi Police's IFSO unit (Cyber Unit) has asked Revanth Reddy to appear for questioning carrying all his electronic gadgets.
India Today reports said that the Delhi Police will also summon five more people in the upcoming days, including some Congress leaders, who shared the concerned manipulated video.
This summon has come a day after Delhi Police registered a case after Ministry of Home Affairs filed a complaint in connection with the manipulated videos of Union Home Minister Amit Shah being circulated on social media platforms.
The Special Cell filed a FIR under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code and relevant provisions of the Information Technology Act.
According to the complaint filed by Sinku Sharan Singh, DC, Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C), some doctored videos are being circulated on social media with "the intent of creating disharmony among communities which is likely to affect public tranquility and public order."
The Delhi Police, which is also under the MHA, filed the FIR under sections 153 (causing provocation with intention to cause riot), 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc), 465 (forgery), 469 (forgery to harm the reputation of any party), and 171G (publishing false statement with intent to affect the result of an election) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and under the Information Technology Act.
According to the complainant, links from which the videos were shared were also attached for further action.
What did Revanth Reddy say?
At the rally in Karnataka, Reddy said, "Some post was made on social media, they reached Telangana Gandhi Bhavan (state Congress headquarters) with the notice that we will arrest the Telangana Congress president and Telangana Chief Minister.
"That means Narendra Modi ji is now using Delhi Police to win elections. ED, Income Tax and CBI are over," he added.
Reddy said, "No one is afraid here. There are people who give an answer."
Other Congress Leaders React
In Delhi, Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said that Reddy will not be intimidated by such tactics and accused the BJP of spreading fake news and doctored videos in the poll campaign.
"They think we will keep sitting like this and not initiate any action. We will also launch action against all those involved. There will be FIRs in Karnataka, Telangana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, where the BJP is not in power," she said.
"If they believe that they can intimidate Telangana CM Shri Revanth Reddy, who is also the PCC president, they are living in a la-la land.
"Revanth Reddy ji is a fighter, who fought the BRS, your B-team. We trounced them, we trounced you, and we ensured that you were relegated to the margins," she told reporters at the party headquarters soon after the Delhi police action.
The BJP urged the Election Commission to direct social media platforms such as ‘X’, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube to enhance their monitoring mechanisms to detect and promptly remove deep fake content related to the electoral process.
While addressing a rally in Maharashtra's Karad on Monday, PM Modi said, "Opposition using fake videos to create social discord" as he warned the people against forwarding such videos.
