Bengaluru, Nov 11 A complaint has been filed against Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge, accusing him of “circulating fake news and misleading information” and “attempting to disturb social harmony”, police said on Wednesday.
The complaint was lodged at Banashankari police station on Tuesday, seeking registration of an FIR against Kharge for allegedly attempting to link the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to the recent seizure of live cartridges through a social media post on ‘X’.
In his written complaint, Tejas A Gowda alleged that Kharge’s social media post attempted to associate the RSS with the seizure of approximately 44,250 live cartridges in Bihar and Haryana.
“Through his statements and insinuations, he has sought to create an impression that the RSS organisation is connected with the alleged criminal activities,” Gowda alleged.
However, the complainant has not specified whether he is associated with the organisation.
The complainant further alleged that the Home Minister knowingly circulated the information despite knowing it to be false, and that such conduct warranted a criminal investigation as it could disturb communal harmony in the state by spreading fake news.
“It is a matter of serious concern that a person occupying the constitutional office of Home Minister, who is entrusted with maintaining law and order and protecting public peace, is circulating false information against an organisation,” the complainant alleged.
He urged the police to register an FIR against Kharge under the applicable provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, citing Sections 192 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause a riot), 196 (promoting enmity between different groups) and 353 (statements conducing to public mischief), if the information and accompanying evidence disclosed cognisable offences.
The complainant further urged the investigators to conduct a fair and independent probe without political interference.
He also requested the investigating officers to secure the electronic records of the social media posts, coordinate with police authorities in Bihar and Haryana to obtain details of the cases, and verify whether false information was knowingly disseminated.
Though the complaint was submitted, no FIR has been registered in this regard yet, police said.
BJP MP Tejasvi Surya too took to social media platform ‘X’ accusing the Minister of “peddling fake news”.
“We have a fake news peddler as Home Minister of our state. And this bloke wanted to set up some fact-check unit or something. Sad state of affairs,” he said.
Former Bengaluru Police Commissioner Bhaskar Rao has also written to Kharge, urging him to uphold the dignity and institutional integrity of the Home Department and the Karnataka Police, while questioning his social media post linking the RSS to accused persons in an alleged ammunition-smuggling case.
Referring to his social media post on ‘X’, the retired IPS officer stated in his letter, “The image was subsequently questioned as AI-manipulated, with reports pointing out discrepancies between the original photograph and the circulated version. This is particularly ironic when your Government and your own political statements repeatedly emphasise the need to identify and combat fake news through fact-checking mechanisms.”
Rao urged the Home Minister to concentrate on the actual requirements of the police department, saying Karnataka needs substantial improvements in police infrastructure, modernisation of police stations, filling of vacancies, strengthening forensic laboratories, upgrading cybercrime investigation facilities, among other things.
“I sincerely urge you to exercise restraint, maintain the decorum expected of your office and focus your energies on strengthening the police administration. The Home Minister must be a source of confidence for the police force and the public, not a source of political controversy,” Rao added.
(PTI News)
