The Delhi Police on Sunday registered a case over a doctored video circulating on social media platforms showing Union Home Minister Amit Shah advocating for the abolition of reservation quotas for Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), and Other Backward Classes (OBCs). The video, which has sparked controversy and allegations of misinformation, has prompted the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to file a complaint seeking action against those responsible for it.
In response to concerns raised by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) regarding the authenticity of the video, the Delhi Police registered a First Information Report (FIR) on Sunday. The BJP has denounced the video by saying that it has been manipulated to distort Mr Shah’s original statements made during a political rally.
According to BJP spokesperson Amit Malviya, the video in question has been altered to misrepresent Mr Shah’s remarks on the issue of reservation quotas for Muslims in Telangana.
“Congress is spreading an edited video which is completely fake and has the potential to cause large-scale violence. Home Minister Amit Shah spoke about removing the unconstitutional reservation given to Muslims, on the basis of religion, after reducing the share of SCs/STs and OBCs. This fake video has been posted by several Congress spokespersons. They must be prepared for legal consequences,” Mr Malviya said on Saturday.
.@INCTelangana is spreading an edited video, which is completely fake and has the potential to cause large scale violence.
Home Minister Amit Shah spoke about removing the unconstitutional reservation given to Muslims, on the basis of religion, after reducing share of SCs/STs and… pic.twitter.com/5plMsEHCe3
— Amit Malviya (मोदी का परिवार) (@amitmalviya) April 27, 2024
The controversy surrounding the video escalated as various social media handles, including official accounts affiliated with the Congress, shared the doctored footage, alleging that it revealed the BJP’s “agenda to abolish SC/ST reservation quotas”. These claims have drawn sharp criticism from BJP leaders, who accuse the Congress of disseminating false information with the potential to incite social discord.
The MHA has attached a comprehensive report to its complaint, identifying the links and handles responsible for sharing the doctored video of the Home Minister.
With the FIR now registered, the Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations (IFSO) Unit of the Delhi Police Special Cell has begun its investigation into the origins of the fabricated video.
