Viral audio seeks votes for SP-BSP candidate, BJP's Nishad lodges FIR

GORAKHPUR: A day before the voting for the high-profile Gorakhpur Lok Sabha seat, an audio clip said to be of sitting MP and BJP's Sant Kabir Nagar candidate Pravin Kumar Nishad urging people to vote for SP-BSP candidate went viral on Saturday. Nishad, however, claimed that the audio was fake and blamed the Opposition for the forgery.
Terming the audio fake, Pravin Nishad, whose NISHAD party recently split with Samajwadi Party and inked a pact with BJP, lodged an FIR at Shahpur police station.
In a 1.34 minute clip, a voice rewsembling Nishad's is heard appealing voters to support SP-BSP alliance candidate Ram Bhuwal Nishad. "The audio is fake. The Opposition is depressed. The voice in the audio is not mine. I have lodged an FIR against unknown persons." "Modiji and Yogiji have worked for Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas. There is no confusion.... Nishad voters will vote for Ravi Kishan in Gorakhpur," he said." When TOI contacted SP-BSP candidate Ram Bhuwal Nishad, he said, " I have not heard the audio. I don't know anything about it."
Inspector, Shahpur, R K Chandel said, "An FIR has been lodged against unidentified persons under section171-F (punishment for undue influence or personation at an election), 171-G (false statement in connection with an election) and Information Technology Act 66B (dishonestly receiving stolen computer resource or communication device), 66 D (punishment for cheating online)."