Congress warns of 'strong' action against BJP over spreading fake videos of Rahul Gandhi

Congress on Sunday warned more "strong, stern" legal action against the BJP and its leaders for continuing to spread doctored videos claiming that Rahul Gandhi forgave Udaipur killers, saying it will remind them of their 'raj dharma'.

Party's Media and Publicity Department Chairman Pawan Khera told a press conference that one should not think that decency is their shackle but an ornament.

"We are free to take that ornament off and take legal action, appropriate strong stern legal action. Gone are the days, when we will continue to be decent, because we have been watching the BJP, its IT cell," Khera said.

Despite the video being called out, he said somebody as senior in stature like Rajyavardhan Rathore, who was Information and Broadcasting Minister himself, "very irresponsibly, very mischievously" continued to share it.

On Saturday, Congress General Secretary (Communications) Jairam Ramesh shot off a letter to BJP president JP Nadda warning that appropriate legal action would be taken against his party and leaders who "insist and persist in using the social media in such a blatantly irresponsible and criminal manner", if an apology is not issued.

Khera said the channel accepted its mistake, withdrew the content from social media and apologised but the damage was done. More irresponsible than the channels are the elected representatives because they are under a constitutional oath, he said.

He said an FIR has been registered in Rajasthan on Saturday against the channel, MPs and BJP leaders.

"More action will follow, bigger action, because anybody, who thinks that our decency is our shackle, he is sadly mistaken, it is our ornament and we are free to take that ornament off and take legal action, appropriate strong stern legal action. Gone are the days, when we will continue to be decent, because we have been watching the BJP, its IT cell," he said.

"Enough is enough. You cannot hold the country to ransom, you cannot provoke passions. We will remind you of your Raj Dharma. We will remind you of your constitutional oath," he added.

He said the episode acquires a "very-very serious dimension" because this involves communal harmony of the country. "You cannot aggravate passions by doctoring videos and provoking people, provoking communities.While Rahul was referring to the violence by SFI on his Wayanad office, the channel doctored it in a manner so that it appear that he is talking about the killers of Kanhaiya Lal," he said.

"It was deliberate, it was mischievous and it’s some kind of jugalbandi, some kind of a duet going on between the BJP and a section of the media, because immediately the BJP leaders pick it up, their IT cell picks it up," he said.