In a shocking incident, the Ahmedabad Police have apprehended Hiten Pithadiya, a prominent leader of the Gujarat Congress, for disseminating manipulated images and false claims about Mohit Pandey, the newly appointed priest for the under-construction Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. The Uttar Pradesh police have also taken action against Pithadiya for his malicious posts targeting the revered religious figure.
The controversy unfolded on December 11 when Pithadiya shared inappropriate photographs on social media, falsely identifying the person in the images as Mohit Pandey from Ghaziabad, the recently appointed priest for the Ram Lalla Temple. It is important to note that Pandey has been the subject of a malicious online campaign since his appointment.
प्रिय @Uppolice @ayodhya_police @igrangeayodhya उक्त हितेंद्र नामक व्यक्ति हमारे राम मंदिर के लिए चुने गए पुजारी के ख़िलाफ़ किसी साजिश के तहत फर्जी फोटो उनके बता कर वायरल करके एक प्रॉपगेंडा फैला कर उनको बदनाम कर रहा हैं एंव हम सभी सनातनियों की धार्मिक भावनाओं को आहत कर रहा हैं,… pic.twitter.com/lvFcAeB6jc
— Avkush Singh (@AvkushSingh) December 11, 2023
Several other social media handles shared the same fake photos, perpetuating the misinformation initiated by Pithadiya. As the head of the Scheduled Caste Morch of Gujarat Congress, Pithadiya posted the objectionable images on a popular platform, questioning, “Is this the priest of Ayodhya Ram Temple?” The allegations were solely based on the person in the photographs wearing a tilak and sandalwood, common elements also found in genuine images of Pandey.
Real pictures of Mohit Pandey, where he is legitimately adorned with tilak and sandalwood, had been shared on social media prior to this incident. Pithadiya and others made unfounded claims solely on the basis of these shared features, despite the person in the photographs being unrelated to Pandey.
Following the public outrage, screenshots of the objectionable tweets were widely circulated by concerned Hindus on social media, prompting both Ayodhya Police and Ahmedabad Police to take immediate action against those spreading false information about Mohit Pandey.
Despite Pithadiya deleting his tweets in the face of mounting backlash, the damage had already been done. The Ahmedabad Cyber Cell arrested Pithadiya under Sections 469, 509, and 295A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), along with relevant sections of the Information Technology Act, for his involvement in disseminating manipulated images and false claims on various social media platforms.
कांग्रेस नेता हितेन्द्र पिठाड़िया की गिरफ़्तारी.
IPC 469, 509,IPC 295A और IT act के तहत मामला दर्ज. https://t.co/Ju8tfynPfO pic.twitter.com/GeZrL25633
— Janak Dave (@dave_janak) December 12, 2023
Deputy Commissioner of Police, Cyber Crime, Ajit Rajian confirmed the arrest, stating that Pithadiya faces charges including forgery (Section 469), intending to insult the modesty of a woman (Section 509), and deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings (Section 295A), in addition to the relevant sections of the Information Technology Act.
Meanwhile, Mohit Pandey, the young priest at the center of the controversy, holds impressive credentials, having studied at Dudheshwar Vedic University in Ghaziabad for seven years. He earned his Shastri degree from Shri Venkateshwara Vedic University and completed his master’s degree with expertise in Vedas, Shastras, and Sanskrit. Pandey is a scholar of the Ramanandi tradition, bringing a wealth of knowledge to his role at the Ram Lalla Temple in Ayodhya.
