Why in News?
The Election Commission Tuesday asked social media platform X to take down an animated video post by the BJP Karnataka handle that depicted the Congress appeasing Muslims at the cost of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes.
The Content of the post
The post contained an animated video and the caption “beware… beware… beware..!” in Kannada. It showed a Rahul Gandhi character placing an egg labelled as “Muslims” within a nest with three eggs, which were smaller in size, labelled as “SC”, “ST” and “OBC”. After the eggs hatch, the character then proceeds to feed the “Muslim” hatchling with “funds”. The hatchling then grows and removes the other hatchlings out of the nest, with Rahul and a Siddaramiah character snickering.
Violation of Act –
According to EC sources, the post was a violation of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, which defines “corrupt practices” to include promotion of enmity between communities, castes and races.