The ICLU complaint also noted that the video was communally charged with inciting imagery of kar sevaks mounted on the dome of the Babri Masjid and demolishing the structure.
Team Clarion
NEW DELHI – A case has been registered in Hyderabad against the X handle of the Telangana chapter of the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) for using photos of the Supreme Court judges who delivered the Ayodhya verdict in the election campaign.
On Tuesday, the Indian Civil Liberties Union (ICLU), which had filed a complaint, said that they were informed by the Hyderabad Police about the action taken in this regard. The group also posted a screenshot of the police response on its X handle.
“Myself Vinay Kumar, Sub Inspector of police at Cyber Crime Ps, Hyderabad City. We have received a complaint which was addressed to the ECI regarding the use of Supreme Court judges’ photos by BJP’s Twitter account. In this regard, a case was registered vide FIR No 1029/2024 at Cyber Crime Ps, Hyderabad City,” reads the police response.
Kumar also asked for the contact number of the complainant to carry forward the investigation into the case.
The complaint was filed by Affan Abdullah and Akanshah Bisht on 29 April after the BJP handle uploaded a video for the election campaign. According to the complaint, the controversial video was posted on 16 April which also shows snippets of destruction of temples, Mughal paintings, harassment of women, etc. The video shows kar sevaks surrounding the Babri Masjid and hoisting a saffron flag on its tomb. Then, there is a photo of the five judges who delivered the Ayodhya judgement in favour of the Hindu side.
“In our country, the Supreme Court is the highest judicial authority …. It is an independent body that does not serve the interests of any particular political party. However, the image of the five judges, four retired and one currently presiding as the Chief Justice of India, shown in a political campaign video is an affront to the impartial judicial process,” reads the complaint.
The complaint also noted that the video was communally charged with inciting imagery of kar sevaks mounted on the dome of Babri Masjid demolishing the structure and the caption read, “A battle of billions of Hindus since time immemorial. A story of sacrifice, valour, worship & victory. The Saga of Ayodhya Ram Mandir”.
The complaint pointed out that the act violated the 1 and 3 sub-clauses of the general conduct of the model code of conduct.
“By using the image of five Supreme Court judges in the video, BJP, Telangana has tried to portray a constitutional bench judgment as partisan. Such actions impinge the independence of the judiciary and undermine the faith of citizens of India in a fair judicial process. Moreover, it violates one of the fundamental principles of the MCC which is to maintain the secular fabric of our nation and prevent misuse of religious sentiments for electoral gains,” asserted the complaint.
