Bengaluru, India – The Karnataka Pradesh Congress Seva Dal Young Brigade has urged Home Minister Priyank Kharge to initiate legal action against BJP leader and IPS officer Bhaskar Rao (retd) for allegedly spreading false information about YouTuber Dhruv Rathee. In a representation dated October 10, Junaid P.K., president of the Brigade, alleged that Rao had created doubts about Rathee’s nationality by suggesting that he could be a foreign national.
The representation said Rathee had participated as the chief guest at the Janadesh convention held at Freedom Park in Bengaluru on October 8. The event was organised in support of protests demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the electoral process, including the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.
Rao had written to the Union Home Ministry seeking verification of Rathee’s entry and exit records and examination of whether provisions of the Foreigners Act, 1946, had been violated. The Brigade claimed that Rathee was an Indian citizen and alleged that the claims questioning his nationality were intended to spread misinformation and gain publicity.
The development marks an escalation in the ongoing political confrontation over the anti-CEC protests, with the Congress now seeking legal accountability for what it describes as deliberate misinformation targeting a prominent content creator who has been vocal in his criticism of the government’s electoral policies. The matter now rests with the Karnataka Home Minister, who will decide whether to initiate an inquiry or legal proceedings against the senior BJP leader.
