AHMEDABAD/NEW DELHI: Gujarat Congress MLA Jignesh Mevani’s personal assistant (PA) Satish Vansola and AAP worker RB Bariya were arrested for sharing edited video of Home Minister Amit Shah where he is purportedly seen announcing curtailment of reservation for the SCs, STs and OBCs, police said on Tuesday.
“Two Facebook profiles, one under the name of Satish Vansola and the other under RB Bariya, shared an edited video of the Union Home Minister [Amit Shah] on social media. Both individuals were apprehended yesterday,” said Lavina Sinha, Ahmedabad’s DCP for zone-1. “An FIR was lodged against the two individuals under sections 153A (promoting enmity between different groups) and 505(2) (statements creating or promoting enmity, hatred or ill-will between classes) of the IPC, along with provisions of the IT Act,” Sinha said.
A preliminary probe revealed that Vansola, a resident of Banaskantha, has been working as the PA of Mevani for the last six years and Bariya as AAP’s Dahod district president for the last four years, police said.
Responding to his PA’s arrest, MLA Mevani said, “I cannot believe that Vansola has knowingly engaged in such acts. I have known him intimately for six years. I have never supported fake videos or propaganda in my life. I condemn all such actions.”
Shah alleged that the Congress is behind the doctored clip and claimed that the party has reached a new low under Rahul Gandhi’s leadership. “Congress is spreading falsehoods about the BJP trying to alter the Constitution and abolish reservations. We don’t categorise voters as minorities or majorities,” Shah told the media in Assam.
A Delhi police official said around 15 people have been served notices by the Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations (IFSO) unit of the Special Cell asking them to join the investigation into the fake video case. The official said they are yet to receive a response from the X (formerly Twitter) and Meta (Facebook) in connection with the case.
Meanwhile, MHA directed the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre to keep a vigil on the fake videos spreading misinformation against government and initiate actions under the provisions of IPC and cyber laws, officials said.
‘Party reached a new low’
A preliminary probe revealed that Vansola, a resident of Banaskantha, has been working as the PA of Mevani for the last six years and Bariya as AAP’s Dahod district president for the last four years, police said. Shah alleged that the Congress is behind the doctored clip and claimed that the party has reached a new low under Rahul Gandhi’s leadership. “Congress is spreading falsehoods about the BJP trying to alter the Constitution,” he said.