The Delhi Police, on Sunday, April 28, registered an FIR over a doctored video of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, where his statements indicating a commitment to abolishing reservation quotas for Muslims in Telangana, were changed to make it seem that he was advocating scrapping of all reservations. "We received a complaint regarding the edited video of the Home Minister. Two complaints were received by police, one from the BJP and another from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). Following this, the Delhi Police Special Cell Cyber Wing's IFSO [ntelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations] unit filed an FIR," a source said.
A case has been registered under Sections 153 (wantonly giving provocation, with intent to cause riot), 153A (promoting enmity between different groups), 465 (punishment for forgery), 469 (forgery for purpose of harming reputation), 171G (false statement in connection with an election) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and section 66C (punishment for identity theft) of the Information Technology (IT) Act and a probe has been initiated, said the sources.
According to the FIR, a copy of which is in possession of IANS, the MHA, in its complaint, stated that it has been found that some doctored videos are being circulated by users of Facebook and Twitter. “The video seems to be doctored, spreading misleading information with the intention of creating disharmony among communities which is likely to affect public tranquillity and public order issues. It is requested to kindly take necessary legal action as per the provisions of law," the ministry said, as per the FIR.
It also stated that a report was attached with the complaint containing details of links and handles from which the doctored videos of the Home Minister are being shared.
The controversy erupted after a video surfaced on social media purportedly showcasing Home Minister Amit Shah making statements suggesting the BJP's intention to annul reservation provisions for Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), and Other Backward Classes (OBCs).