An FIR has been filed against the official social media handle of the Karnataka unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over a controversial post allegedly likening former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler. The case was registered after a complaint was lodged by the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), police said on Thursday.
The complaint, submitted by KPCC general secretary S Manohar at the High Grounds police station on June 25, targeted a post shared on BJP Karnataka’s official ‘X’ (formerly Twitter) account (@BJP4Karnataka) at 3:54 pm on Wednesday, new agency PTI reported.
The post in question included a 38-second video referencing the Emergency era, with the caption, “INDIRA NOT EQUALS INDIA, INDIRA = HITLER.” The video contains a morphed image of Indira Gandhi resembling Adolf Hitler.
INDIRA = INDIA❌
INDIRA = HITLER ✅ pic.twitter.com/19rI7nQNXx
— BJP Karnataka (@BJP4Karnataka) June 26, 2025
The complainant argued that the post was defamatory towards the late Prime Minister and intended to provoke social unrest and fuel animosity among religious and communal groups. The video in question is still available on the saffron party’s X handle.
A senior police official informed that a case has been registered under Sections 192 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot) and 353 (statements conducing to public mischief) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. “Further investigation is underway,” the officer said, as per PTI.
BJP’s Shehzad Poonawalla Defends Post, Slams Congress
Commenting on the FIR, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla questioned whether stating historical facts now warrants legal action.
“Calling Indira Gandhi a Hitler is stating a fact. Now will there be an FIR on stating facts? Should we call Indira Gandhi a saint for imprisoning the constitution?… and for the way sterilisation of crores was done, lakhs were put in jail, lakhs were made homeless, basic constitutional rights were ripped off, 250 journalists were imprisoned…” he said, as quoted by ANI.
#WATCH | Delhi | On FIR registered against the Karnataka BJP over its ‘X’ post on Indira Gandhi, BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla says, “Now will there be an FIR on stating facts? Should we call Indira Gandhi a saint for imprisoning the constitution?… and for the way… pic.twitter.com/UmVkb6qgo3
— ANI (@ANI) June 26, 2025
Poonawalla further alleged a lack of legal scrutiny against those who criticise Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“There are no FIR on the people who call PM Modi Hitler and demean him each day… Today Karnataka Congress is screaming that they have Emergency-like DNA… There is no accountability for the ‘murder’ of 11 people in stampede, multiple scams, inflation and breaking promises made in manifesto, girl child harassed in broad daylight… This represents their priority,” he added.
