TN Police book BJP Chief Annamalai, UP Spokesp’n Umrao for ‘Spreading Disinformation’

The Tamil Nadu Police have registered a case against Bharatiya Janata Party’s Tamil Nadu Chief K. Annamalai, as well as Uttar Pradesh Spokesperson Prashant Patel Umrao under various sections of the Indian Penal Code for spreading disinformation and fake news regarding the videos which allegedly show Bihari migrant workers being attacked in Tamil Nadu.

Chennai Police have registered a case against Annamalai in the Cyber Crime Division under section 153, 153A(1)(a), 505(1)(b) and section 505(1)(c) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for inciting violence and promoting enmity between two groups. This comes after Annamalai released a statement on a video doing the rounds on social media which reportedly showed migrant laborers from North India being mistreated in Chennai. In his statement, the BJP TN Chief held the DMK government led by CM MK Stalin responsible for the rising tide of hatred against North Indian migrant workers in the state.

Chennai Police have also booked BJP Uttar Pradesh Spokesperson Prashant Patel Umrao for a tweet where he attacked Bihar’s deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav for attending Tamil Nadu CM Stalin’s 70th birthday celebrations despite the purported attacks on Bihari migrant workers in the state. The tweet, which has since been deleted, reproached Dy CM Yadav for attending Stalin’s birthday celebrations despite Bihari migrants being mistreated in the southern state.

Other than the BJP leaders, local journalists from Bihar have also been named in FIRs, including the editor of a prominent local newspaper.