Fake news row: FIR says AAP workers promoted enmity

HISAR/ROHTAK : The two Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers arrested on Saturday have been charged with promoting enmity, police said on Sunday.

According to the FIR, copy of which is available with HT, complainant Rajesh Thakral, member of BJP grievances and redress committee, accused Harpal Kranti of promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion and race.

Hansi-based Thakral told the police that he had got messages from BJP workers that few people were spreading fake news against chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar on social platforms such as Whatsapp and Facebook to create a ‘war-like atmosphere’.

BJP mandal chief Billu Kanot from Sirsa had also made a similar complaint.

The Hansi police had arrested Harpal Kranti of Chanot vilage and the Sirsa police had nabbed Tersam Sama and booked them under Sections 153 and 153A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 66 of the Information Technology Act.

Investigation officer (IO) Prahlad Singh of Sadar police station said, “We first rounded-up two persons, Anoop Chanot and Harpal Kranti, after getting a written complaint. We checked their mobile phones and also scanned their accounts on social networking sites. We found Kranti was spreading messages against the Haryana chief minister.”

ONE OF THE WORKERS GETS BAIL

“Further investigation has been started. However, Kranti was released on bail today,” the officer added.

A BJP worker, who works with the party’s media cell, on the condition of anonymity, said, “Through a publishing and typesetting software application, the AAP workers created fake news about Khattar saying that he was only CM of Punjabis and had nothing to do with others. Such news was never published anywhere according to the records.”

During a press conference in Karnal recently, Khattar, while responding to the allegations of a BJP mayoral candidate seeking votes on caste lines, had said, “I am not in favour of caste politics and believe in Haryana ek, Haryanvi ek.”