India opposition social media chief arrested over doctored video

Congress party’s Arun Reddy held over fake video of interior minister Amit Shah

Indian police have said they have arrested the social media chief of the country’s main opposition party over a doctored video widely shared during the ongoing national election.

Arun Reddy of the Congress party was detained late on Friday in connection with the edited footage, which falsely shows India’s powerful interior minister, Amit Shah, vowing in a campaign speech to end affirmative action policies for millions of poor and low-caste Indians.

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India election: Modi and rivals trade accusations as voter turnout slumps in second phase

Parties clash over communal issues in increasingly charged campaign amid concerns unseasonably hot weather affecting voter numbers

India has held the second phase of the world’s biggest election, with prime minister Narendra Modi and his rivals hurling accusations of religious discrimination and threats to democracy amid flagging voter turnout.

Almost 1 billion people are eligible to vote in the seven-phase general election that began on 19 April and concludes on 1 June, with votes set to be counted on 4 June.

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