Ranchi, November 08, 2024: An application for filing an FIR against the social media page ‘Ranchi Chaupal‘ has been submitted to the Gonda and Ratu police stations by Hemlal Kumar Mehta and Dharmendra Kumar Singh, respectively. The application accuses the page of spreading misleading messages, inciting religious tensions and tarnishing the reputation of Chief Minister Hemant Soren.
Allegations of Defamation and Polarization Campaign
The application claims that ‘Ranchi Chaupal‘ has been actively running a smear campaign aimed at Jharkhand’s Chief Minister Hemant Soren and the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) candidates. This campaign is alleged to mislead voters, disrupt social harmony and unfairly influence electoral outcomes by promoting polarization and misinformation.
Supreme Court Guidelines Ignored
The complaint references Supreme Court regulations mandating the verification of political advertisements by the Election Commission and limiting campaign expenditure for candidates. Shadow advertisers with direct or indirect political affiliations are also barred from participation. Despite these rules, the application suggests that these guidelines are being ignored, particularly by the BJP, which allegedly exploits the Meta platform for political advantage.
BJP’s Expenditure and Accusations of Exploiting Meta Platform
A report by multiple organizations, including the Dalit Solidarity Forum and India Civil Watch International, indicates that the BJP spent over ₹2.25 crore on political advertisements in Jharkhand within a three-month span, in apparent violation of Supreme Court orders. The party reportedly used Meta as a channel for disseminating propaganda, bypassing electoral regulations.
Exposing Shadow Advertisers and Divisive Campaigns
The investigation highlighted a network of shadow advertisers linked to the BJP, who purportedly promoted divisive and incendiary content. The report titled “Jharkhand’s Shadow Politics: How Meta Permits, Profits From and Promotes Shadow Political Campaigns” alleges that BJP’s shadow campaigns targeted the tribal Chief Minister and stirred communal discord.
Content Analysis and Violations
According to the report, BJP’s official social media page ran over 3,080 advertisements, accumulating approximately 10 crore impressions at a cost of ₹97.09 lakh. Additionally, 87 identified dummy pages linked to the BJP disseminated similar divisive content, costing ₹81.03 lakh.
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