Bengaluru (Karnataka): Karnataka Police have booked Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Information Technology (IT) cell head Amit Malviya for a Tweet against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. Malaviya is also the National Executive member of the BJP and the co-in-charge for West Bengal.
A police official said that a complaint in this regard was lodged by Congress leader Ramesh Babu at the High Grounds Police Station in the state capital of Karnataka following which an FIR was filed.
"We have registered a case under sections 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence), 120b (punishment of criminal conspiracy), 505(2) (statements conducing to public mischief) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against Amit Malaviya," a police official attached to the High Grounds Police Station said.
Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge defended the FIR which was filed against Malviya. "Whenever BJP bears the burnt of law, they cry. They have a problem following the law of the land. I want to ask the BJP which part of the FIR has been filed with a mala fide intention," Kharge told reporters on Wednesday. According to Kharge, the cops registered the case after taking the necessary legal opinion.
Meanwhile, the BJP hit back at the Congress government in Karnataka after Malviya was booked. BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla in Tweet alleged that the FIR against Malviya was a "malicious use of provisions of law to silence and intimidate". "The FIR against Amit Malviya is nothing but a malicious use of provisions of law to silence, intimidate. At best, if Rahul Gandhi was aggrieved by any Tweet, he could have filed a defamation case in court," said Poonawalla.
"Using the state machinery to settle scores only shows that Congress’ own communication and social media paraphernalia is supremely incompetent and hence needs a state police to fight its battles," added Poonawalla.
BJP Member of Parliament (MP) from Bengaluru South Tejasvi Surya dubbed the FIR against Amit Malviya as "politically motivated". "The FIR filed against Amit Malviya is politically motivated. Plain and simple. The case is registered under 153A and 505(2) of IPC for his alleged statement against Rahul Gandhi. Both the above sections deal with promoting enmity between groups. So, what is Rahul Gandhi? An individual or a group or a class? We will challenge this in court and ensure justice," Surya, who is also the national president of BJP Yuva Morcha, said in a Tweet.
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