Bengaluru: An FIR was registered on Tuesday against BJP IT Cell head Amit Malviya and Republic TV Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami for allegedly spreading false information, according to the police.

The case was filed at the High Grounds Police Station following a complaint by Shrikant Swaroop B N, head of the Indian Youth Congress's legal cell. The FIR invokes sections 192 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot) and 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

False claims about Istanbul Congress Centre

In his complaint, Swaroop accused Malviya and Goswami of “masterminding a heinous and criminally motivated campaign to disseminate patently false information.”

He alleged that the duo had “maliciously propagated the fabricated claim” that the Istanbul Congress Centre in Türkiye is the office of the Indian National Congress (INC).

Intent to incite and defame alleged

“This act was executed with clear and undeniable criminal intent to deceive the Indian public, defame a major political institution, manipulate nationalist sentiments, incite public unrest, and undermine national security and democratic integrity,” Swaroop stated in his complaint.

Backdrop of tense Indo-Turkish relations

Swaroop further noted that the alleged actions occurred “against the volatile backdrop of strained relations between India and Turkey, driven by the latter's perceived support for Pakistan.”

He added, “The actions of Malviya and Goswami represent an unprecedented attack on India's democratic foundations, public safety, and national security. Their calculated misuse of influence to spread falsehoods with criminal intent demands the harshest response.”

Appeal for broader inquiry

Swaroop has also appealed to the Press Council of India, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the CBI, and other law enforcement agencies to treat this complaint as an emergency.

PTI inputs