On July 23, Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara informed the state assembly that the state police had registered 37 FIRs this year related to ‘derogatory’ social media posts about politicians. The report states that these users were accused of ‘spreading false information’ or making derogatory remarks, primarily targeting Congress leaders.
The report also noted that out of the 37 cases, action was taken against 12 posts for making ‘derogatory’ remarks about Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah, and five posts were directed against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. Additionally, some cases were registered for posts targeting Deputy CM and state Congress chief DK Shivakumar, as well as IT-BT Minister Priyank Kharge.
Several cases have also been filed against social media posts accused of making derogatory remarks about Union Minister and JDS leader HD Kumaraswamy, BJP state president BY Vijayendra, BJP leader Anant Kumar Hegde, and others.
Karnataka Home Minister Parameshwara revealed this in the state assembly while addressing a query from Congress leader and Tiptur MLA K Shadakshari, who had asked about the measures taken against individuals spreading false information about public representatives on social media. The Minister also noted that most of these cases are still under investigation and were filed before the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) came into effect on July 1, 2024.
The highest number of cases have been registered in Bengaluru, with eight cases. Uttara Kannada and Chikkamagaluru each have six cases, followed by Udupi with five cases. Shivamogga has three cases, while Mangaluru and Kalaburagi each have two cases. Additionally, one case each has been registered in Ramanagara, Chikkaballapur, Belagavi, Kodagu, and Gadag.
B Dayananda, Bengaluru City Police Commissioner, said, “We are taking action against hate posts on social media based on inputs received either through police stations or from the state fact-check unit. Our intelligence division also has a separate internal fact-check unit to monitor social media posts.”
In most of these cases, the police have invoked IPC sections 153A (promoting enmity between groups based on religion, race, or language), 295 (deliberate acts intended to outrage religious feelings), and 505 (statements promoting enmity, hatred, or ill-will between classes). Additionally, Section 67 of the IT Act has also been applied.
An FIR was filed at the Napoklu police station in Kodagu district against a social media post alleged to target CM Siddaramaiah. Although a charge sheet was presented in court, the accused resolved the case by paying a fine of Rs 5,000 at a Lok Adalat hearing. BJP charges the Congress Government with using its ‘fact-check’ unit for ‘vendetta Politics’
The Bharatiya Janata Party has launched a sharp critique of the Siddaramaiah government, accusing it of using its ‘fact-check’ unit for ‘vendetta politics.’
BJP spokesperson Surabhi Hodigere criticized the Congress government for setting up a fact-checking unit in Karnataka. She raised concerns about the lack of transparency in the unit’s criteria, politically biased vendor selection and defiance of Supreme Court orders. She said, “Despite the Supreme Court’s stay order against a central fact-checking unit, the Karnataka government persists with its own, showing blatant disregard for judicial authority. The BJP is pursuing legal action to ensure compliance with judicial directives”.
A senior police official noted that many cases were registered based on information from the state’s fact-check unit. It is important to highlight that none of the companies involved in this unit are signatories of the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN). Notably, the Congress government in Karnataka set up its own fact-checking unit, the Information Disorder Tackling Unit (IDTU), in March 2024. The unit aims to combat fake news and misinformation, particularly on social media.
The four firms involved in the IDTU operations are Gauri Media, Logically Infomedia Private Ltd, Trylika Technology Ltd, and Newsplus Communications. Three teams comprise the IDTU: a fact-checking team, an analytics team, and a capacity-building team. IT-BT officials reported that 537 fact-checks were conducted over the past 90 days, leading to 537 cases and 18 FIRs. According to reports, the State Government has allocated Rs 3.19 crore for the fact-checking unit, which began operations just before the Lok Sabha election model code of conduct came into effect.
While Congress and its I.N.D.I Alliance partners have been alleging that the Modi Government has imposed an undeclared emergency and is stifling opposition voices; they have been blatantly hounding and launching an authoritarian crackdown against their rivals, arresting or filing FIRs against one journalist after another with the intent to muzzle the voice of dissent.
In June, earlier this year, the Congress government invoked Sections 153-A and 502(2) of the IPC against the well-known journalist Ajeet Bharti. They accused him of making derogatory remarks about Rahul Gandhi with the intent to “provoke dissent and hatred among various religious groups” and to “disturb public peace and incite disorder.” Three Karnataka police personnel arrived at his home, ostensibly to deliver a notice. However, Ajeet Bharti described the incident as an intimidation tactic.
However, on June 24, the Karnataka High Court granted relief to Bharti by halting the proceedings against him. The court observed that the statement in the video tweet was based on reports from two national newspapers. Meanwhile, the FIR against Ajeet Bharti came days after an FIR was registered against an X user named Befitting facts over flimsy grounds.
Earlier, on May 18, Karnataka Police arrested X user MumbaichaDon, also known as Bhiku Mhatre, at his home in Goa over a now-deleted social media post criticising the Congress manifesto.
The I.N.D.I Alliance partners, who claim to uphold democracy, free speech, and liberalism, have been criticised for their authoritarian practices, including targeting dissenters and rivals on dubious grounds. Ironically, several states governed by the I.N.D.I Alliance have prosecuted journalists, X users, and supporters of rival parties for spreading hatred or fake news. In this context, the Karnataka Government has accused these entities of disseminating fake news on a large scale, particularly during the Lok Sabha election phase.
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