FIR filed against Supriya Shrinate, Neha Singh Rathore over viral BJP flag video in Chhattisgarh
Synopsis
A months-old video of a BJP MLA hoisting a party flag went viral on Independence Day — but it was from a March 2026 training event, not August 15. Now Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate and influencer Neha Singh Rathore face an FIR in Chhattisgarh for allegedly weaponising the clip to suggest the Tricolour was snubbed.
Key Takeaways
An FIR was registered on 17 August 2026 in Raipur against Supriya Shrinate and Neha Singh Rathore .
The complaint was filed by BJP Chhattisgarh spokesperson Ujjwal Deepak .
The viral video was from the 'Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Training Maha Abhiyan' held on 22 March 2026 in Kurud, Dhamtari — not Independence Day.
The video showed Kurud BJP MLA Ajay Chandrakar hoisting a BJP flag ; posts falsely claimed it was from 15 August 2026 .
Case registered under Sections 336(4), 353(2), and 196 of the BNS ; investigation is ongoing.
BJP has demanded content removal via the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal and action against involved accounts.
An FIR was registered on 17 August 2026 in Raipur, Chhattisgarh, against Congress National Spokesperson Supriya Shrinate and social media influencer Neha Singh Rathore, following a complaint by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state spokesperson Ujjwal Deepak. The case centres on the alleged circulation of a months-old video as Independence Day footage, triggering a political row over the hoisting of a party flag.
What the Complaint Alleges
According to the complaint filed with Chhattisgarh Police, Shrinate, Rathore, and other social media users allegedly shared visuals from the 'Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Training Maha Abhiyan' — a BJP training programme held on 22 March 2026 in Kurud, Dhamtari district — and presented them as footage from 15 August 2026 Independence Day celebrations.
The posts claimed that former minister and Kurud BJP MLA Ajay Chandrakar had hoisted the BJP flag in place of the National Flag on Independence Day, sparking accusations of disrespect toward the Tricolour. Subsequent fact-checks established that the video predated Independence Day by nearly five months.
What Ujjwal Deepak Said
Complainant Ujjwal Deepak stated that the posts were deliberately timed for 15 August to maximise public impact. He said, 'Congress Social Media President and Akhil Bharatiya Congress Committee Chairperson, Supriya Shrinate, along with Neha Singh Rathore and some other social media users, allegedly tried to spread false information on August 15. They shared a video from March 2026 showing former minister Ajay Chandrakar waving the Bharatiya Janata Party flag. The post was presented in a way that suggested the video was recorded on August 15.'
The complaint further contends that amplifying the outdated video on Independence Day was likely to create public confusion, political tension, and unrest.
Sections Invoked and Police Action
Police officials confirmed the registration of a case under Section 336(4), Section 353(2), and Section 196 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The investigation is ongoing.
The BJP has separately demanded the immediate removal of the allegedly misleading content through the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal and the relevant social media platforms, along with action against the accounts responsible.
BJP Delegation and Political Context
A BJP delegation that met authorities included state spokesperson Ujjwal Deepak, Dr. Kiran Baghel, Rajiv Chakraborty, state media co-ordinator Rahul Rai, Mahila Morcha district president Kritika Jain, and others.
This comes amid a broader pattern of political parties trading allegations of misinformation on social media around national occasions. The use of Independence Day as a flashpoint for viral political content has drawn repeated scrutiny from election and cybercrime authorities in recent years. As the investigation proceeds, the case is likely to intensify the ongoing debate over accountability for misleading political content online.
Point of View
The date, and the accounts involved, which will test whether police investigation can move beyond FIR optics. For Supriya Shrinate, who holds a national media brief for the Congress, the case carries reputational stakes beyond Chhattisgarh. Broader accountability for viral political content remains patchy, and without platform-level takedowns, FIRs alone rarely contain the spread of such material.
NationPress
18 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was an FIR filed against Supriya Shrinate and Neha Singh Rathore?
An FIR was filed on 17 August 2026 in Raipur on the allegation that they shared a video from a BJP training event held in March 2026, falsely presenting it as Independence Day footage showing a BJP MLA hoisting a party flag instead of the National Flag. The complaint was lodged by BJP Chhattisgarh spokesperson Ujjwal Deepak.
What does the viral video actually show?
The video shows former minister and Kurud BJP MLA Ajay Chandrakar hoisting a BJP flag at the 'Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Training Maha Abhiyan' in Kurud, Dhamtari district, on 22 March 2026. It was not recorded on Independence Day, as fact-checks subsequently confirmed.
Under which legal sections has the FIR been registered?
Police registered the case under Section 336(4), Section 353(2), and Section 196 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The investigation is ongoing.
What action has the BJP demanded beyond the FIR?
The BJP has demanded the immediate removal of the allegedly misleading content through the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal and the concerned social media platforms, along with punitive action against the accounts involved in its circulation.
Who is Supriya Shrinate?
Supriya Shrinate is the Congress National Spokesperson and National Media In-Charge, as well as the party's Social Media President and Akhil Bharatiya Congress Committee Chairperson for social media. She is a prominent national-level party functionary.
