FIR on BJP's IT cell over 'defamatory' remarks against Rahul Gandhi linked to Pahalgam attack

An FIR has been filed against the BJP IT Cell at Bengaluru’s High Grounds Police Station for a controversial social media post that linked the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s foreign visit. The post, shared from the official X handle of Karnataka BJP, sparked outrage and drew a sharp response from the Congress.

The post read, “Every time @RahulGandhi leaves the country, something sinister unfolds back home,” and was tagged with hashtags such as #PahalgamTerroristAttack and #Hindus. It attempted to draw a connection between Gandhi's travels abroad and terror incidents in India, a claim widely dismissed as baseless and inflammatory.

CM Dhananjaya, head of the legal cell of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), filed a complaint accusing the BJP IT Cell of defamation and of circulating misleading information. In the complaint, he argued that the post was intended to malign the image of Rahul Gandhi and mislead the public about the causes and implications of the terror attack.

Dhananjaya further alleged that such posts were not only defamatory but a deliberate attempt to divert public attention from the real issue—government failure in ensuring national security. “This is an attempt to communalise a tragic event and shift blame,” he said.

Following the complaint, police at the High Grounds station registered a case under Sections 196 and 353(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. These sections deal with promoting enmity between different groups and spreading misinformation that could harm public peace and trust.