Karnataka Congress general secretary S Manohar on Wednesday, June 25, filed a police complaint against the BJP social media account that posted a satirical video portraying former prime minister Indira Gandhi as Adolf Hitler to mark the 50th year of the Emergency.
The Karnataka BJP’s June 25 post on X featured an AI-generated video that equated Gandhi to German dictator Adolf Hitler with a caption that said “INDIRA is not equal to INDIA, while INDIRA is equal to HITLER”.
INDIRA = INDIA❌
INDIRA = HITLER ✅ pic.twitter.com/19rI7nQNXx— BJP Karnataka (@BJP4Karnataka) June 26, 2025
“Indira Gandhi’s photo has been graphically altered in a hateful manner, and the former Prime Minister has been addressed in a derogatory manner, which could cause unrest in society and create enmity between religions and communities. Therefore, it is requested that appropriate legal action be taken against the said Twitter/X account,” stated the FIR filed on June 25.
The High Grounds police in Bengaluru have filed a case of provocation and public mischief under Sections 192 and 353 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Reacting to the FIR, state BJP chief B Y Vijayendra has said that the former PM’s actions during the period of Emergency were comparable to those of Hitler.
“There is no question of being afraid of Siddaramaiah’s (Karnataka CM’s) FIR and threats on social media tweets. Let a hundred such FIRs be registered. Our workers are ready to face it,” he said.
The Emergency was imposed on June 25, 1975, by the then prime minister Indira Gandhi and lasted for 21 months. The period saw the suspension of civil liberties, curtailment of press freedom, mass arrests, the cancellation of elections, and rule by decree and was considered one of the darkest chapters in the history of the Indian republic.