The Karnataka Police has summoned Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief JP Nadda and the party’s Information Technology (IT) - cell head Amit Malviya on Wednesday, May 8, in connection with a post on X that maligned the Muslim community. The BJP officials have been asked to present themselves at the Bengaluru High Grounds police station in seven days after receiving the notice. 

The notice issued by the police said a person named Ramesh Babu filed a complaint at the High Grounds police station on May 5 regarding the video that was posted on X. The notice also mentioned that the video intended to create “hatred, enmity, and ill-will against” members of the Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST). A First Information Report (FIR) has been registered and investigation is underway, the report added. 

On Tuesday, May 7, the Election Commission of India (ECI) asked X to remove the video over which the BJP leaders have been summoned. The video in question is animated and alluded that the Congress will starve members of the SC, ST, and Other Backward Classes (OBC) by providing excess funds to Muslims. 

The animated video showed a nest with three eggs labelled ‘SC’, ‘ST’ and ‘OBC’ and a caricature of Rahul Gandhi adds a larger egg labelled ‘Muslims’. The eggs hatch and the bird from the egg labelled ‘Muslims’ is larger than the other three, looks sinister and is seen sporting a skull cap and a beard. Rahul Gandhi is then shown feeding the larger bird “funds” while the others are left to starve. Eventually, the bird that is being fed grows larger and eliminates the others. Meanwhile, the other birds are rescued by a caricature of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP.