In a recent development, Congress leader Arun Reddy, who manages the ‘Spirit of Congress’ social media account and serves as the national coordinator for social media within the party, has been placed under a 3-day Police custody. This action comes in connection with a doctored video allegedly involving Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The arrest, carried out by the IFSO unit of the Delhi Police, has sparked protests from Congress members, with accusations of misuse of power by the Union government.
The controversy stems from a video in which Amit Shah is purportedly heard making remarks against reservations in the country. However, during an address at a public meeting in Congress-ruled Telangana, Shah actually stated, “If the BJP forms the government here, we will withdraw the unconstitutional reservations to Muslims. We will ensure that the SCs, STs, and OBCs get quotas as guaranteed under the Constitution.”
Congress MP Manickam Tagore, who holds the position of Telangana Congress in-charge, strongly criticized the arrest, labeling it as an abuse of authority by the Union government. In a statement on social media, Tagore demanded the immediate release of Arun Reddy, highlighting the authoritarian nature of the regime’s actions and using hashtags such as #ReleaseSpiritOfCongress and #ReleaseArunReddy.
The Delhi Police’s Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations (IFSO) unit issued summons to 16 individuals across multiple states in connection with the distribution of the altered video involving Amit Shah. These individuals, including six members of the Congress in Telangana such as Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, were asked to participate in the investigation and provide relevant evidence under Sections 91 and 160 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).
Section 160 of the CrPC empowers the police to summon individuals for questioning during investigations, while Section 91 allows them to request specific documents or electronic devices as evidence. In response to these developments, the BJP’s Telangana unit filed a complaint against Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and the Congress state chief, accusing them of fabricating and manipulating Amit Shah’s speech.
The complaint highlighted that the official X handle of the Telangana Pradesh Congress Party shared a ‘morphed’ and ‘fabricated’ video of Amit Shah, leading to a legal and political confrontation between the BJP and Congress factions.
This incident underscores the ongoing tensions and legal battles within India’s political landscape, reflecting broader debates surrounding free speech, digital media manipulation, and the use of social media platforms for political messaging and propaganda.
Sources By Agencies
