New Delhi:
The Delhi Police has registered five separate FIRs against the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and its leaders for alleged inflammatory social media posts and discriminatory statements.
The complaints range from defamation and misinformation to violating electoral ethics and communal harmony.
The first FIR, filed on January 13, accuses AAP of circulating a social media post containing ‘inflammatory’ remarks targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.
The FIR claims that these actions violated multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Information Technology Act, and the Representation of the People Act, as well as the Model Code of Conduct.
The post, labelled as a deliberate attempt to provoke public sentiment, featured animated caricatures of key political figures.
“The social media post contained inflammatory remarks targeting the Prime Minister and Home Minister of India. The circulation of the message by the Aam Adami Party is a severe breach of electoral ethics and democratic decorum,” said the FIR.
The second FIR focuses on a morphed social media post, attributed to AAP, that allegedly misrepresented the voice of Amit Shah. The post was accused of spreading misinformation and inciting communal tensions in Delhi.
“The social media post which was created and shared by the AAP consists contains morphed and fabricated voice of the Home Minister of India which spreads misinformation and the same has been circulated by the AAP, its convenor and officials with intent to spread the hate and destroy the communal harmony amongst the citizen of Delhi and to tarnish the reputation of the Home Minister of India, holding a constitutional post and also a member of the BJP. The content shared through these posts contains unverified claims and allegations against the Home Minister of India without any credible sources or factual basis,” said the FIR copy.
A third FIR, filed over posts targeting the Prime Minister, claims that the content, shared on January 9 and 10, contained fabricated photos and false claims intended to damage the Prime Minister’s reputation. The post also allegedly referred to the Prime Minister’s official residence in derogatory terms.
The fourth FIR centres on a tweet by an AAP member which allegedly spread false claims about the Prime Minister’s official residence, claiming it houses luxury rooms for storing personal items.
The FIR said that the tweet was fabricated to mislead the public and tarnish the Prime Minister’s office.
The fifth FIR accuses top AAP leaders of making inflammatory statements against people from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh on January 9, 2025.
The complaint alleges that their statements were discriminatory and intended to create tension between communities, violating provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Representation of People Act.
Meanwhile, a complaint was filed against AAP leader and Delhi chief minister Atishi for allegedly violating the Model Code of Conduct by using a government vehicle for political purpose.
Police said that a complaint was received regarding a violation of MCC. The FIR was registered at the Govindpuri police station in southeast Delhi following a complaint submitted by the returning officer of the Kalkaji assembly constituency, officials said on Tuesday.
The complaint specifically mentioned the vehicle, which belongs to the Public Works Department (PWD) under the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD), being used for political purposes.
Delhi CM and AAP leader Atishi responded to the complaint and told the media, “The whole country saw how Parvesh Verma was distributing Rs 1100. Later, Parvesh Verma himself tweeted that he was holding a health camp and distribution specs. After that, he distributed bedsheets with his name on them. But the Election Commission doesn’t see any MCC violation in this. The question arises – who is the Police with? Is there pressure on EC officials? We hope the commitment of a free and fair election given by EC will be implemented on the ground.”
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)