Social media influencers booked over anti-BJP minister’s campaign
Nagpur: Nagpur Cyber Police have registered an FIR against multiple social media content creators for allegedly running a digital campaign targeting BJP leader and Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the legal action stems from online posts criticising the government’s ethanol-blended fuel policy. Nagpur Joint Commissioner of Police Navinchandra Reddy said an offence was registered based on a complaint received.
“The FIR details the names of the individuals involved and the nature of the posts, as well as the obscene or abusive comments made by certain people. The police are currently investigating the matter,” he said.
The complaint was filed by Shishir Arun Tripathi, convener of BJP Nagpur City Social Media Cell. It alleged that a YouTube video uploaded on July 3 by content creator Manish Kashyap contained “false, defamatory and misleading statements” regarding Gadkari and ethanol fuel.
The complaint further named YouTube and Instagram accounts including ‘Desi Boys’, ‘Harshit Rathi’ and ‘Anklesh Inwati’ for circulating similar videos and posts with “baseless and objectionable allegations” against the minister.
Based on the complaint, the Nagpur Cyber Police registered the FIR under Sections 356, 352 and 296 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, along with Section 67 of the Information Technology Act, 2000.
