Bihar YouTuber Manish Kashyap, arrested in T.N. fake news case, joins the BJP

Bihar YouTuber Manish Kashyap met BJP chief J.P. Nadda after joining the saffron party in New Delhi on April 25, 2024. Photo: X/@OfficeofJPNadda

Bihar YouTuber Tripurari Kumar Tiwari alias Manish Kashyap, who was arrested last year for allegedly circulating fake news on Bihari migrants being attacked in Tamil Nadu, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday in the presence of BJP MP Manoj Tiwari in Delhi.

Mr. Kashyap was in the eye of the storm last year after his YouTube videos allegedly claimed that migrants were being targeted in Tamil Nadu and created panic among the migrant community in the State. He was arrested in Bihar and sent to Tamil Nadu to face charges filed the local police. Many labourers had started returning to Bihar leaving their work in the southern State. The YouTuber had to spend nearly nine months in jail.

Mr. Kashyap had earlier announced to contest the Lok Sabha election from West Champaran seat as an Independent candidate, pitting him against sitting BJP MP and candidate from the seat, Sanjay Jaiswal. His induction in the party ensures he is out of fray from the seat.

Mr. Tiwari played a pivotal role in convincing Mr. Kashyap to join the party. Mr. Tiwari, a popular Bhojpuri singer and actor, visited Mr. Kashyap’s village Dumri Mahanwa in West Champaran in January to meet him after he was granted conditional bail in December 2023.

Later, Mr. Kashyap along with his mother, met BJP president J.P. Nadda in Delhi. 

After joining BJP, Mr. Kashyap said, “When I was in jail, my mother was fighting for me and she knows who all supported me at that time. My mother told me not to disobey Manoj Tiwari bhaiya and that I must listen to him. My mother is a big fan of Narendra Modi ji. She asked me to strengthen the hand of Modi ji and expose those who are anti-nationals. I am very happy to join the world’s biggest political party.”

Mr. Kashyap, 34, is no stranger to controversies. In 2019, an FIR was lodged against him for the first time for collecting illegal money, as he had allegedly posted a message asking for donations from the public through social media. FIRs have also been filed against him for allegedly endangering the life of a police official and supporting vandalism, after a statue of King Edward VII on the premises of Maharani Janki Kunwar Hospital in West Champaran district was damaged.

Also in 2019, he was arrested by the police in connection with an attack on Kashmiri shopkeepers in Patna after the Pulwama terror attack.

He had contested the Assembly election from Chanpatia as an Independent candidate unsuccessfully in 2020. In 2013, for his alleged role in spreading the fake news on Bihari migrants being attacked in Tamil Nadu, the Bihar Police registered 13 cases against him and the Tamil Nadu Police nine.

Party sources said that BJP may field him in the State Assembly election scheduled next year.