Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has been summoned by the Delhi Police in connection with an alleged dissemination of a fake video involving Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
The summons requires Reddy, who is also the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president, to appear before the police on May 1, along with his mobile phone.
The controversy revolves around a video that was purportedly shared by the official Telangana Congress handle, subsequently reposted by several party leaders. In this manipulated video, Home Minister Amit Shah was shown advocating for the abolition of reservation quotas for Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), and Other Backward Classes (OBCs).
Notices have also been served to five individuals, including Revanth Reddy, who are alleged to have shared the video on a X, social media platform. The FIR (First Information Report) was lodged by the Special Cell of the Delhi Police following a complaint from the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (14C), which operates under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The altered video misrepresented Shah’s statements, suggesting a stance against reservations for Muslims in Telangana, while he was actually advocating for the abolishment of all reservations.
The case has been registered under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Information Technology (IT) Act. Sources within the Special Cell, as quoted by news agency PTI, indicate the possibility of arrests across the country as the investigation progresses.
Revanth Reddy Accuses BJP of Political Maneuvering
Reacting to the summons, Revanth Reddy accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi of utilizing the Delhi Police for their “political gains.” He strongly condemned the move, asserting that it was an attempt to intimidate political opponents.
In a related development, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced that the Assam Police had made its first arrest in connection with the doctored video featuring Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The individual arrested has been identified as Reetom Singh.
“Assam police have arrested an individual named Sri Reetom Singh in connection with the fake video involving Honorable Home Minister Sri Amit Shah,” wrote Assam CM Himanata on X (formerly Twitter).
Assam police have arrested an individual named Sri Reetom Singh in connection with the fake video involving Honorable Home Minister Sri @AmitShah
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) April 29, 2024
The arrest marks a significant development in the investigation into the dissemination of the fake video, indicating a proactive approach by law enforcement agencies to address such instances of misinformation and manipulation.
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