Ahmedabad: The Election Commission has ordered probe into video, which is doing rounds on social media and being dubbed communal, on the complaint filed by lawyer-activist Govind Parmar, said media reports. The 1.15 minute-long clip, which begins in Gujarati, shows a girl hurrying back to home through a deserted locality with azaan playing in the background. The clip ends with a line that reads, “Our vote, our safety.”
The complaint sought investigation into the video for inciting communal hatred ahead of Gujarat Assembly elections, added the reports. Taking serious note of the complaint, the Election Commission (EC) has instructed Gujarat’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) to initiate legal action against the culprits.
Meanwhile, the cyber crime cell of Gujarat police in Ahmedabad has launched a probe into the complaint filed on Friday against the social media video. The complainant stated that the video clip circulating on social media platforms was meant to spread hatred against Muslims “to polarise votes” in poll-bound Gujarat.
Advocate Govind Parmar of Human Rights Law Network sent his complaint letter to the Chief Electoral Officer of Gujarat, the cyber crime cell of Ahmedabad police, and the Election Commission with a request to ban the video clip and take action against those responsible for its creation and circulation.
Nobody has claimed responsibility for making and circulating the video clip. In his letter, Parmar said the video attempts to spread hatred by whipping up fear towards the Muslim community with an attempt to polarise the votes.
