An FIR has been registered at High Grounds Police Station in Bengaluru against BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya and Republic TV Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami for allegedly disseminating false information about the Indian National Congress’s (INC) overseas office.
The FIR cites the spreading of incorrect claims that the Istanbul Congress Centre in Turkey is the official office of the INC. The complaint highlights that this misinformation was shared with the intent to mislead the public, defame the Congress party, and incite unrest.
The Istanbul Congress Centre is a convention center owned by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and is not connected to the INC. Although the Congress party announced plans to open an overseas office in Istanbul in 2019, no such office has been established there.
The false claim was broadcast by Arnab Goswami on Republic TV and further circulated by Amit Malviya on social media platforms. Independent fact-checkers have debunked this misinformation, clarifying that the image and claims are incorrect.
The claims wer made amid the uproar on social media with users making calls seeking boycott of Turkey as the users believe Turkey supported Pakistan during the recent Indo-Pak tension.
The complainant argued that the allegation against the Congress party was deliberately run to add points to the ruling party and defame the opposition.
Following these allegations, Republic TV issued a correction admitting the error in representing the Congress office in Turkey.
The FIR has been registered under sections 192 (provocation with intent to cause riot) and 352 (intentional insult to provoke breach of peace) of the Indian Penal Code, reflecting the seriousness of spreading false news that could disturb public order.
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