BJP’s Anil Antony Charged with Hate Crime for Spreading Misinformation Over Kasaragod Bus Video

In a recent turn of events, BJP National Secretary Anil Antony has been charged with promoting hate and spreading misinformation over a video showing Muslim students protesting for a bus stop near their college in Kasaragod, Kerala. Antony shared the video with a false narrative, claiming that the students were forcing a Hindu woman to wear a burqa, and accused the state of Kerala, led by politicians from CPM, Congress, and IUML, of becoming a hotbed of fundamentalism and radicalization.

The video in question was initially posted by an American anti-Muslim troll named Amy Jane Mekelburg, who is also known as Amy Mek. In the video, Muslim students are seen arguing with a woman, which was taken out of context and shared with a misleading caption, “Sharia Patrols in India!” by Mekelburg. She falsely claimed that Islamic women harassed a Hindu woman for riding a bus without a Sharia covering and demanded she wear a burqa.

Kasaragod Cyber Crime Police Inspector Narayanan A took legal action against Amy Mek under Section 153 A of the Indian Penal Code, which pertains to “promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion” and “doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony.” Following this, a complaint was filed against Anil Antony and another right-wing influencer, Anandi Nair, for sharing the video with the false narrative.

Anil Antony’s comments and actions have been widely condemned for exacerbating religious tensions and promoting misinformation. This incident sheds light on the growing concern of online misinformation and hate speech, emphasizing the need for responsible use of social media platforms and stringent legal measures against those spreading false information that can incite hatred and disharmony in society.