Punjab Police books Delhi BJP leader for sharing 'doctored' video of Kejriwal

The Punjab Police has registered an FIR against a Delhi BJP leader for allegedly sharing on his Twitter handle a "doctored video clip" of AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal.

The FIR against Delhi BJP's media cell head Naveen Kumar Jindal was registered by the police in Mohali on Thursday night on the basis of a complaint filed by a Punjab and Haryana High Court advocate, sub-inspector Gagandeep Singh, SHO of Mohali's Phase 11 police station, said on Friday.

This is the second case registered by the Punjab Police against a Delhi BJP leader after the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) came to power in the border state.

“The complainant alleged that Jindal, on his Twitter handle, shared a cropped video from the original footage of an interview given by Arvind Kejriwal to a TV channel and doctored the original content.

“The complainant said that some words of the Delhi chief minister from the original interview have been dropped,” the SHO pointed out.

The video clip was posted on April 6.

According to the complainant, the “doctored” part of the video pertains to Kejriwal's comment on providing clean and transparent governance.

The police official said that an FIR has been registered under sections 465 (punishment for forgery), 471 (using as genuine a forged a document or electronic record), 500 (punishment for defamation), 505 (1) (b) (with intent to cause, or which is likely to cause, fear or alarm to the public) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 66 of the Information Technology Act.

When reached for his comment over the phone, Jindal said he had been “exposing” the Kejriwal government in Delhi on various issues for the last two years.

“I exposed many of their corrupt practices...Feeling frustrated, they are getting false cases registered with an aim to cause harassment. A number of times, even Kejriwal makes satire on BJP leaders, but we do not register a case against him. But ever since AAP has formed the government in Punjab, they think they can use Punjab Police against those who expose them,” Jindal said.

Asked if the video was doctored, he said the video carries a disclaimer that it is a “satire”.

“On the basis of that video, they got a police case registered against me, but they cannot browbeat me and I will continue to expose them on various issues,” Jindal said.

A few days ago, the Punjab Police had booked Delhi BJP spokesperson Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga, who had been attacking Kejriwal over his remarks on the movie, 'The Kashmir Files'.

He was charged with making provocative statements, promoting enmity and criminal intimidation, following a complaint by an AAP leader.

The FIR, registered on April 1, referred to Bagga’s remarks during the BJP youth wing's protest outside the Delhi chief minister's residence.

In his complaint, AAP leader Sunny Ahluwalia, a resident of Mohali, had accused Bagga of making provocative, false and inflammatory statements to outrage religious feelings, promote disharmony and create feelings of enmity, hatred and ill-will.

The AAP is in power in Punjab and Delhi.

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