Lok Sabha Elections 2024: EC directs X to pull down Karnataka BJP's animated video targeting Muslims & Congress

New Delhi: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday asked social media platform ‘X’ to take down an animated video posted by the BJP’ s Karnataka unit allegedly targetting Muslim reservation.

The ECI said, “X is directed to take down the post immediately. This is issued with the approval of the competent authority.”

On Sunday, the Karnataka police sent a notice to ‘X,’ directing it to remove the May 4 video for violating the Representation of People Act.

The ECI. in its communication to nodal officer of X said that, “An FIR (copy enclosed) has already been registered in the matter. It is further brought to your notice that Chief Electoral Officer, Karnataka through Cyber Crime Division, Bengaluru has already directed X on 05.05.2024 to take down the objectionable post as per Section 79(3)(b) of Information Technology Act and rule 3(1)(d) of The Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021. However, the post has not been taken down yet.”

Linking the post where the BJP aimed to attack the Congress amid the Muslim reservation row, the ECI said, “I am directed to inform that post of “BJP4Kamataka” (as mentioned below) is violative of extant legal framework.”

The video in question depicted Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) as “eggs” in a basket representing reservation. An animated character of Rahul Gandhi is shown planting another “egg” representing the Muslim community into the same basket. The video suggests that Congress leaders prioritise the Muslim community over SC, ST, and OBCs by allocating more funds to them, symbolised by placing funds into their mouths.

After the video was posted on social media Saturday, the Karnataka Congress filed a complaint against BJP national president J P Nadda, the party’s IT cell head Amit Malviya, and state unit chief B Y Vijayendra.

Chairman of the media and communications department of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee, Ramesh Babu, in his complaint alleged that the video not only violated the model code of conduct (MCC), but was also an offence under the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act, 1989.