Shah says BJP backs reservation, blames Congress for 'doctored video'
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has hit out at the Congress over a "doctored video" of him at a rally in Telangana circulating online. The video—identified to be a deepfake—shows the senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader talking about the abolition of reservation quotas for SCs, STs, and OBCs. The Delhi Police had registered an FIR in the case on Sunday based on complaints by the Union Home Ministry and the BJP. A Congress worker was later arrested on Monday.
Why does this story matter?
A video of Shah's purported speech at a rally in Telangana's Siddipet on April 25—circulated widely on social media—has triggered a political controversy. The video was shared by several social media handles, including the official ones of Congress state units. The deepfake clip shows Shah as saying, "If the BJP comes to power, it will end the unconstitutional SC, ST, and OBC reservation." The BJP had publicly condemned the video soon after it went viral.
Shah blames Congress for spreading fake video of him
Mounting an attack on the Congress, Shah on Monday said that the BJP backs reservations for SCs, STs, and OBCs. He blamed the Congress for spreading a fake video of him and said that the saffron party will be a "protector" of reservation. "Congress is spreading misinformation that the BJP will end reservations after crossing 400 seats. These claims are baseless and unfounded," he said in a press conference in Guwahati.
Telangana CM summoned in Amit Shah's 'doctored video' case
According to reports, the alleged creator and distributor of this video was identified as Congress worker from Assam's Guwahati, Reetam Singh and arrested shortly after. Moreover, the Delhi Police has summoned Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and four others on May 1 in the case. The police have also asked CM Reddy to bring his electronic devices for the investigation, officials said. Further probe is undeway
Legal charges filed, social media platforms notified
The case was booked under sections of the Indian Penal Code and section 66C of the Information Technology Act. Notices have also been sent to social media platforms requesting details on accounts that shared the video. A copy of the FIR was also sent to Delhi Cyber Police's Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations, and an investigation initiated.
