Jharkhand Congress' X account withheld for sharing Home Minister Amit Shah's doctored video

The X account of Jharkhand Congress has been withheld in India following a legal demand in response to the dissemination of a doctored video involving Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

In a significant development, the X account of Jharkhand Congress has been withheld in India following a legal demand in response to the dissemination of a doctored video involving Union Home Minister Amit Shah. This action comes amid a backdrop of escalating tensions and legal actions surrounding the circulation of misinformation and manipulated media during the Lok Sabha election campaign season.

The controversy stems from a doctored video depicting BJP leader Amit Shah allegedly making statements about the abolition of reservations for Muslims in Telangana. The video, which was shared on various social media platforms, including X, purportedly distorted Shah's original remarks, giving the impression that he advocated for the scrapping of all reservations.

On Sunday, the Delhi Police’s Special Cell initiated an investigation into the matter following a complaint filed by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), under the Ministry of Home Affairs. The FIR highlighted the dissemination of the manipulated video and its potential to incite social unrest by misrepresenting the statements of a prominent political figure.

The situation escalated further when the Jharkhand BJP also lodged a police complaint against individuals allegedly involved in circulating the doctored video. The complaint was lodged at the Argora police station in Ranchi against one Shailendra Hazra and Rupesh Rajak.

Rajesh Thakur, the President of Jharkhand Congress, found himself at the center of the controversy as he was summoned by the Delhi Police for questioning in connection with the investigation on May 2. 

"I received the notice from the Delhi Police on Tuesday. But, it is beyond my understanding why the notice was served to me. This is nothing but anarchy," Thakur said.

"If there is any complaint, they should first verify the content on my X account. The election campaign is at its peak and my involvement in the campaign could be understood. In such a situation, they have sought my laptop and other electronic gadgets. Sending summons without verifying the things is not appropriate," he added.

Thakur said he has sought legal opinion on the issue.