This incident marks the second time in the past two weeks that the BJP has shared a similar video online. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also made comparable claims about the opposition’s supposed bias towards Muslims during election rallies.

Nearly 100 schools in and around India’s capital, Delhi, had to evacuate thousands of students because they received fake bomb threats through emails.

“The pen drives were kept on bus seats, at bus stands and were given to people in public places like parks,” an official told the daily. “These pen drives had more than 2,000 files which included videos and photos. After a few hours, we saw these being widely shared on WhatsApp.”

India’s general election, the largest-ever election, has begun and will take around 44 days until the polls close. To get people voting in the southern Indian city of Bengaluru, companies in the city are offering a range of incentives – from free food to taxi rides.

The 2024 general election in India, scheduled to span six weeks from April 19 to June 1, is anticipated to be unprecedented in scale. Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeks to secure a third consecutive term, while opposition factions warn of potential erosion of fundamental freedoms should he remain in office.

Security forces in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh say they have killed 29 Maoist rebels. The incident has occurred just days before the country heads to the polls. The killing took place in the Kanker area close to Bastar, a stronghold of the rebels.