Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru
Mangaluru, Aug 29: Members of the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), under the leadership of Dakshina Kannada district president Suhan Alva, submitted a formal police complaint at Barke police station on Thursday, demanding action against the social media cells of BJP Karnataka and BJP Dakshina Kannada for publishing a post on Facebook that allegedly spreads misinformation and incites communal hatred.
The complaint alleges that the two official BJP Facebook pages shared a derogatory and inflammatory post featuring a photo of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, accusing the Congress-led state government of being ‘anti-Hindu.’ The post claims the government was obstructing Vinayaka Chaturthi celebrations by confiscating loudspeakers, while ‘lacking the courage’ to act against mosques broadcasting prayers five times a day. It also referred to past incidents, such as the alleged arrest of Ganesh idols and removal of saffron flags in Keragodu, as examples of the government’s purported bias.
The post ended with the hashtag #HinduVirodhiCongress and included a Facebook share link aimed at amplifying the content.
In his complaint, Suhan Alva stated that he came across the post at around 4 pm on August 29 while browsing Facebook on his mobile phone near Lalbagh, Mangaluru. He expressed serious concern over the provocative language used, arguing that it could “create hatred between members of different religions and communities, leading to unrest.”
Alva noted that while the Karnataka government had placed a temporary ban on DJs for religious festivals such as Ganesh Chaturthi and Eid Milad in the interest of public order, it had permitted the use of regular sound systems. Despite this, the BJP pages allegedly misrepresented the government's position, painting it as discriminatory and hostile towards Hindu traditions.
“The content is not just politically motivated; it is deeply dangerous,” said Alva in his petition. “By circulating such misleading and communal material, these posts are violating the law, attempting to incite hatred, and disrupting peace,” he added.
He further accused the administrators of engaging in activities that are ‘legally punishable’ and called upon the police to take appropriate action under relevant sections of law, including those related to promoting enmity between groups and spreading misinformation.
The complaint includes screenshots of the Facebook post as documentary evidence. The Barke police have received the complaint and registered the matter for further investigation.
NSUI has emphasised that strict action is essential to prevent the misuse of social media platforms for communal polarisation and character assassination of public figures. The delegation’s protest at the police station was peaceful but firm in its demand for accountability.
As of now, no official response has been issued by BJP Karnataka or its digital media wing regarding the allegations.